The Wolf's Wife
by HPFanficlover99
Summary: What happens when a girl is plucked from her life and thrown to the wolves?
1. Chapter 1

"Get away from the woods, Lovetta!" Lovetta's mom calls out to her from the kitchen window. Lovetta looks back at her mom and frowns but obeys, as she so often did. She goes back to the garden and picks a few more tomatoes off of the vines, placing them very carefully in the basket where she collected the rest of the vegetables needed for their dinner that night. Her father was on his way home from work and her mother and her had begun to prepare dinner. At fifteen, it was her job to collect the vegetables from the garden and help her mother whenever she needed help. Lovetta heads inside the house, making sure to wipe her feet on the doormat before walking into the kitchen and rinsing off the vegetables. "Why were you so close to the woods?"

"I saw a beautiful bird and wanted to get a closer look. Its nest is just in one of the trees that is a stone's throw." Lovetta answers her mother, rinsing the vegetables and looking out the window. Her heart ached to run through the woods but, alas, that was not meant to be. She wasn't allowed to go in the woods, it was one of her mother and father's strictest rules. There weren't many that she had to follow but that was one that they were especially strict about.

"You know the rules. You only go in the woods when your father and I are with you on special days. Now get those vegetables chopped up, your father should be home any minute now." Adolpha ordered her daughter, struggling to hide her worry from creeping into her voice. Lovetta immediately obeys her mother, glancing occasionally at the fire place to see if her father was arriving. A few moments later, the fireplace erupts into a brilliant green and Peter steps out with a smile on his face.

"Dad!" Lovetta drops the knife she's holding and runs to her father, throwing her arms around him. Peter chuckles and hugs his daughter back.

"Hello there my beautiful daughter. How are you?"

"I'm great! Just making the salad for dinner tonight" Lovetta lets her father go and returns to her task. Her father often went away for several weeks at a time, collecting artifacts and different items of interest.

"Well, it all smells so lovely." Peter hugs his wife around her waist and places a gentle kiss on her cheek, earning a smile from her. "I missed my two girls."

"And we missed you. Go and get changed into something more comfortable dear. Dinner will be ready in just a moment." While the family had magic, they often preferred to do tasks without it. In Lovetta's case, she was only allowed to do magic whenever it was time for her classes. She was homeschooled by her mother under the careful eye of the Ministry for Magic who checked every month to make sure that they were following the proper curriculum and abiding by the laws. Lovetta's education was one of the things that her parents pushed her to take seriously and Lovetta enjoyed learning, often doing the work earlier than expected of her.

Adolpha puts the finishing touches on the meal and pulls out her wand, flicking it and making the plates come out of the cupboard. Lovetta can't help but be in awe as the dishes fly from their places and land gently on to the table. Her mother didn't often use magic, believing that most tasks were better when they were done by hand. It was something that Lovetta held dear in her heart but secretly did wish her mother would use magic around the house more, it would make things so much easier than they were. They wouldn't have to cart the water to the garden every day or pull the weeds by hand. It would be so much easier.

"Ow!" Lovetta yelps as she misses the carrot and slices her hand open, spilling her blood onto the cutting board. Adolpha's head snaps up from her task and she runs to her daughter's side, grabbing a towel and pressing it against the cut. Panic was seen in her eyes as she held her daughter's hand in her to stop the bleeding. "Mom, relax, it is just a small cut. I'm okay." Lovetta winces slightly as her mother applies a great deal of pressure. Peter runs into the room and rushes over, his wand pulled out.

"Shut the windows!" Adolpha orders him. He raises his wand and flicks them at the individual windows, causing them to slam shut with a series of loud bangs. He stares out the window for several seconds, his eyes darting back and forth on the woodline.

"Mom, I'm sure I'm fine. It was just a small cut. I'm sorry for being so careless."

"It's fine… I hope." Adolpha mummers the last part and pulls back the towel, raising her wand and healing the cut "Parvum vulnus sanandum." The wound easily closes itself, leaving only a small red line behind. "That should fade within a day or two, as long as you don't irritate it. Now, let us eat." The small family takes their seats at the table and helps themselves to the food, making idle chatter about how good the food all looked.

"How was Prague?" Lovetta asks her father after a few moments, digging into her food.

"Well, it was wonderful! Such a place full of magic and mystery!" Peter then launches into a story of the events of the past three weeks, entrancing his daughter. Lovetta longed to travel far away from home like her father did. The only traveling she got to do was occasionally flooing to London to go shopping with her mother. The family learned to be mostly self-sufficient and while Lovetta did enjoy it, she did wish that she had gone to Hogwarts like a regular child but knew that her parents were just doing what they thought was best.

The family polishes off their meal and then dessert. The parents both cleared their dishes and left Lovetta to clean up, as was the usual routine. Lovetta opens the window that sat above the sink and listens to the sound of the crickets fill the silent kitchen with their wonderful music. She liked moments were she got to just sit back and do a mindless chores like washing the dishes, it was a chance to let her mind wander to what was possible or the events of the day. Tonight, her thoughts were preoccupied by her parent's frantic reaction to her cutting her hand. Her mother had been panicked and it was almost like her father could sense from upstairs that she had been cut. It was quite odd, it wasn't like this was the first time that she had ever accidentally cut herself. There were often times when she would when dealing with the plants outside as some of them had thorns and such.

A rustle in the woods causes Lovetta to glance up and out the window, dragging her out of her musings. Her eyes scan the horizon as she finishes up with the dishes, putting them on the rack to let them dry. She frowns slightly and dries her hands before shutting and locking the window. She turns out the light and jogs up the stairs, unable to shake the feeling that she was being watched, even though she knew that was ridiculous. At the top of the stairs, she pauses when she hears her parents arguing in hushed tones.

"-Deserves to know Adolpha!" Peter urges his wife quietly.

"She isn't ready for that kind of information, Peter. If you were here more often you might know that!"

"Need I remind you that I'm only away to protect you two? The two of us together create too strong of a scent now that she's getting her own! We need to tell her so she's prepared, so she understands!" Peter argues with his wife, desperation creeping into her voice. Adolpha makes a noise like growling before she answers.

"We aren't telling her until she is sixteen, just like we had originally planned and that is final. Do you understand?"

"Yes." Peter says tensely. Lovetta scampers behind the half wall as her father heads out of their bedroom and into his office, shutting the door. She dares not release her breath as she hurries up the final step and into her bedroom, shutting the door. Her mind was reeling. What sort of secret were her parents hiding from her? What did her father mean by 'scent'? What was he protecting them from? What did she need to prepare for? There were so many questions but how to ask them…

"Knock knock!" Adolpha says in a cheery voice, opening her daughter's door and entering. "I just came to wish you goodnight. Your father is doing paperwork in his office." Lovetta gives her mother a tight smile, messing with a jacket she had worn earlier that week. "How's your hand?"

"It's fine, doesn't hurt at all. I'll just get changed into my pajamas and go to bed." Adolpha nods, wishing her goodnight before leaving the room. True to her word, Lovetta changes into shorts and a t-shirt for bed. She grabs a book and opens up her large bay window, sitting on the bench. The large moon lit up the night sky, providing just the right amount of light for her to read by. As she reads her book, she twirls her wand in her hand absently. Her heart jumps out of her chest when she hears a loud hoot of an owl in the woods, drawing her attention away from her book and to the woods. Her eyes scan the tree line before landing on a pair of yellow eyes which looked directly at her.

Hungry, yellow eyes. The eyes of a wolf.

(No, the spell used is not official. I couldn't find the one for small cuts so I made one up by using Google translate to translate "healing small wounds" into Latin 😊 Let me know what you think! The more you review/comment/like, the more likely I am to update a story!)


	2. Chapter 2

Spells fly all around Lovetta, hitting the walls of her home and causing debris to fly all over the place. She kept her head down and her wand up, trying to find her mom and dad. Adolpha runs into her daughter's room and grabs a hold of her arm, her head bleeding slowly. "Go to the fireplace! Floo to 12 Grimmwauld Place! See Sirius! Go!" Adolpha pushes her daughter and fires a series of spells into the woods, blindly trying to hit something.

"Mom!" Lovetta yells, shielding her eyes from debris.

"Go!" Adolpha yells, throwing up a shield to block a spell from hitting her. Lovetta whimpers but turns and runs down the hall and down the stairs. Her father stands in the kitchen, throwing spell after spell into the night.

"Dad!" Peter looks toward her and opens his mouth to yell at her before getting hit in the chest with a red streak of light and collapsing. "Daddy!" Lovetta runs to him, falling at her knees by him. She panics, her hands shaking before she's ripped up and thrust toward the fire place.

"Go Lovetta! He's fine!" Adolpha yells at her, countering as many spells. "12 Grimmwauld Place! Sirius will know what to do!" Lovetta stares at her mother for a moment, tears streaming down her face, but she turns toward the fire place. She reaches for the pot of Floo powder before screaming as it explodes, sending the dust all over the remains of the kitchen. Adolpha curses loudly before grabbing her daughter's arm and dragging her to the back of the house.

"What's going on, Mom? Why are we being attacked?"

"Your father and I made many mistakes but we don't regret it. You need to run- run as fast as you can and don't look back!" Adolpha pulls her daughter into a tight embrace, "do not lose your wand. It is what will keep you safe. I love you. Always know that." Adolpha takes one last look at her daughter before throwing open the front door and pushing her out. Lovetta cries but nods, turning and running out into the cold night. She didn't know why this was happening but she trusted her parents completely. If her mother said that she needed to run, she was going to run. Gripping her wand tightly, Lovetta runs into the woods as fast as she's able to. She hears her mother give a war cry before screaming a volley of spells. Lovetta lets her tears fall freely, her feet hitting the ground as her heart pounds in her chest. The trees around her become a blur of color as she sprints. She knew that there was a small village near by and that if she reached that, she would be safe.

Lovetta sprints as long as she can before she has to slow down, her breaths coming out in a staggered manner as her heart pounds loudly in her chest and ears. She glances at her wand as she quickly walks and flicks it, "lumos." The tip of her wand glows brightly before her as she walks, lighting her path and making roots easier to see. She glances around her as she walks, not recognizing anything in the darkness. Her parents had not let her venture into the woods often and she had often gotten in trouble as a child for trying to sneak away. Her heart couldn't help but ache as she thinks of her parents. Who knows what had happened to them now? What if they were killed?

"No, that didn't happen. Whoever attacked us.. They used stunning spells and things like that, nothing to kill." Lovetta reassures herself aloud, refusing to entertain that idea. Her parents were alive, maybe captured but alive. If she could just contact the Ministry for Magic, she'd be safe and her parents could be found. Now if only she could remember which way the village was. If only she could find north…

"Of course! The Point Me spell!" Lovetta realizes aloud. She extinguishes her light and clears her throat, pausing in her walking. She places her wand in the palm of her hand and takes a deep breath, "point me." Her wand flings around in her hand before pointing her due north, just off to the left of where she was already headed. Lovetta looks up and smiles slightly, grateful for her avid reading now. Holding her wand aloft, Lovetta changes course due north. As she walks, she relights her wand. Since the spells couldn't work at the same time, she decided she would switch back and forth every so often. Her heart rate had finally calmed down slightly and her lungs were no longer bursting, craving air. Her mind tried to wander but she didn't allow it to wander too far.

After several minutes, Lovetta stops, extinguishes her light, and uses the Point Me spell. She continues this for three more cycles before she comes to a creek and decides to break and sit for a moment. Lovetta picks a rock and sits on it, pulling her knees up to her chest. She flicks her wand and summons a small ball of flame to warm herself. "I wish I had grabbed a jacket." Lovetta murmurs to herself, trying to stop herself from shivering all over. She pulls her knees tighter to her chest, holding her wand in one hand and very carefully controlling the small ball of flame.

Lovetta sits for another minute or so before standing up and stretching. She extinguishes her flame and lays her wand in her palm, using the Point Me spell. To her demise, it points almost directly across the creek. She frowns and lights her wand, pointing it down the creek to her right but see no end in sight. She points it the other way and frowns once more when she sees no end. Resigning herself to the fact that she had to cross the creek. She raises her wand and looks out over the creek, carefully finding a path. Taking a calming breath and with shaky hands, Lovetta climbs on to the first rock, her toes curling to grip the rock. Feeling the water rush over her feet, Lovetta takes a second step onto the next rock. She shakes but finds her balance. Lovetta takes another couple of steps. The last rock was the most difficult jump for her as it was the most slippery due to water.

As soon as she stretches her foot out to take a step, a beam of red light shoots by her head. Lovetta shrieks and falls, cutting her arm on the rock and drenching herself. She scrambles up and across the remainder of the creek, stumbling forward. Lovetta clings to her wand and takes off running. A howl breaks through the silence of the night. Lovetta's feet pound at the ground as more red spells fly past her. Behind her, she hears several sets of heavy feet running after her. Her lungs scream for air as she sprints. Catching her foot on a root, Lovetta falls to the ground. Dazed, she attempts to catch her breath and blink away the dizziness. HEad and arm bleeding, she blindly moves her arm around for her wand.

"Oh, little one, what do you think you're doing?" A large, male figure appears over her, his voice teasing - almost mocking. "Sleep now." Resigning herself, Lobetta gives one last sob and closes her eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

"She will awake soon, Ut Alpha and Mea Alpha. You must be as gentle as possible with her." A feminine voice chirps from above Lovetta as she floats in and out of consciousness.

"She will be fine." A gruff, young voice from by her feet comments.

"My son, remember, she is mostly a human. You must not push it too much for the first few days. She will probably ask for her parents as well. We should bring them to her." Another female voice from her right side says her voice holding a calm tone.

"No, they must serve their punishment as it stands. They will see each other when they have finished with that. Now, we know you are awake little one. Open your eyes." A second, older male voice commands. Slowly and with a heart filled with dread, Lovetta slowly opens her eyes. After blinking a few times, her eyes come into focus.

"Hello Lovetta." The female to her right speaks first. The woman was tall, strong looking, and absolutely stunning. She had dark hair that cascaded down dark, tan skin. Large, brown eyes peered kindly down at the younger girl. "How do you feel Parvulus? I imagine that you are disoriented but you don't need to worry. You are perfectly safe here." Lovetta looks around at the other people finding an older man with greying hair and another one with black hair. There was a second woman who had her hair pulled back into a tight bun with a very serious look on her face. "Do you remember what happened?"

"You… You people attacked me - and, my family." Lovetta pushes herself up, looking around for her wand. "Where are my parents? Where is my wand?" The younger man laughs for a moment before the older man gives him a look and he stop but keeps on a smug smirk.

"Your parents are serving their punishment right now. You will see them once they are done with that. As for your wand, you will get that back when we see fit to give it back." The older man says his voice stern.

Lovetta frowns and sits up, "you have no right to do this. How could you take my parents? Where are they? I have a right to know!"

"Calm down Parvulus. You must relax. You are still healing from your fall in the woods." The dark-haired woman says gently, "I am Accalia, the feminam alpha of the pack."

"Wha-what? What are you talking about? _Pack_? What does that even mean!" Lovetta asks, her voice shaking as she asks.

"So, it is true. Your parents never told you." The young man gives a short laugh, "why does that not surprise me in the least?"

"Enough Fenrir. It is not her fault her parents have kept her ignorant. Now, Accalia, get her cleaned up and into some new clothes." The older male orders Accalia, the two males leaving right after.

"I am Healer Serena, how are you feeling?" The woman with the bun asks her, pulling out her wand to scan Lovetta's body. Lovetta pulls her knees up to her chest, her heart pounding as she tries to figure out a way to get out of there. If she could just get her hands on a wand, she was sure that she could get out of here. Lovetta shuts her mouth, refusing to answer her. "I cannot help you if you do not tell me."

"I don't want your help. I want to get out of here, I want to see my parents!" Accalia sighs and shakes her head, walking into a separate room off to the right. Lovetta turns to Serena, "please, you have to help me."

Serena frowns and continues her scan, "I cannot do that if you will not cooperate. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, really. Please, just help me get out of here."

Serena frowns and puts her wand away, checking her bandages. "Why do you want to leave so bad? What will you do? You are fifteen years old. Your parents are here, with the Pack, where they belong and where you belong."

"This isn't where I belong! What is this place?"

"This is your new home, where you should have been raised but your parents broke their Pack's trust." Accalia walks back in the room, drying her hands on a white towel. "Now, they have to pay the price. You will speak with them later, now, let's get you into a bath and into some new clothes. Come now." Lovetta frowns and stays right where she is, refusing to move. Accalia's dark eyes flash daringly, "you will come now. Or there will be consequences." Lovetta gulps in slight fear as she could see in Accalia's eyes that she meant serious business.

"I don't want a bath; I want to see my parents. Show me them and then I'll do what you want."

Accalia lets out a short laugh, "you cannot batter with me Parvulus. I am in charge and that is that. Now come and take a bath."

"Why do you keep calling me that? Par- valas? Par- ugh! Whatever it is. What does that mean?"

"Child, come and take this bath. This is your last chance." Accalia warns the girl, a finality to her voice that hadn't been there before.

"Let me see my parents!" With an inhuman growl, Accalia grabs her hurt arm, causing Lovetta to yell out in pain. Accalia lets her go, challenging her to keep on resisting. Lovetta holds her arm and whimpers softly to herself, part of her wanting to give in but part of her wanting to keep on resisting.

"Now Parvulus. Are you ready to give in and cooperate?" Accalia's words have a slight growl to them as she speaks. Lovetta stands up, her legs shaking beneath her. She could feel the soreness from running last night and was definitely bruised from falling. "Good choice." Accalia leads the way to the side room which turned out to be a bathroom where a huge, steaming bathtub was waiting. The room truly looked too large to be fitting in the house. Colorful bubbles of all sorts fill the air above the calm surface of the large bathtub. No pipes were seen nor any faucet in sight so Lovetta could only conclude that magic was used. Accalia busies herself with bottles of soaps and perfumes. "Are you going to undress?"

Lovetta's shock is clear on her face which then falls into confusion. No way was she going to undress in front of this woman! "I will. Once you leave."

Accalia turns back to her, holding a tray of bottles and washcloths from the cabinet. "Oh dear, I am going to bathe you."

"No, you're not! I'm fifteen! I can wash myself!" Lovetta argues with her, her arm beginning to throb slightly.

"Normally, yes. But now you're hurt so I shall help you. So, undress. I do have other things to do today." Lovetta squirms under the dark gaze of the older woman, a small part of herself whispering to give in. "You will soon learn that nudity is nothing to us. Just undress."

"Can you… Can you at least turn away?" Accalia sighs but obliges and turns away, allowing Lovetta to undress by herself. It takes her a moment, but she manages, slowly pulling her shirt over her head and her shorts down. She stumbles slightly and climbs into the tub, the water instantly providing a soothing warmth. Accalia faces her again and smiles slightly as she sees Lovetta relax slightly. Accalia sits behind Lovetta with a comb, gently taking Lovetta's hair in her hands. Lovetta jumps slightly and looks back surprised.

"Relax, you have a lot of tangles in your hair and I'm going to brush them out before I was your hair."

"Oh.." She turns her head forward again, examining her legs through the water as she thinks. Lovetta had never had anyone other than her mother brushes her hair. Her mother had stopped doing it unless Lovetta bugged her. Accalia starts at the bottom, gently brushing it out.

"Close your eyes and relax," Accalia's gentle words wash over her. The younger girl hesitates briefly but closes her eyes anyway. Seeing this, Accalia takes her time with it. Several minutes pass before she speaks again. "What have your parents told you about their lives?"

Lovetta's brow furrows but she decides to answer, to prove to her that she knew her parents. "I know that my father works for a small wizard company that collects artifacts. I know my dad went to Hogwarts - he was a Ravenclaw. My mother was homeschooled. I know my parents. I _don't _know you people."

Accalia picks up a water pitcher which holds warm water and pours it over Lovetta's hair slowly, working it into the strands with a gentle touch. She unstoppers a bottle and lathers it into the hair, massaging her scalp. "That is all true, technically. What if I told you you don't know everything you think you know?" She pours another pitcher of water over the younger girl's hair.

"What-What are you talking about?" Lovetta asks her, trying not to let her confusion show.

"You will see shortly. But first, let us finish your bath." Accalia conditions her hair and then continues. It is awkward for Lovetta as Accalia washes most of her body for her, but it is also strangely relaxing at the same time. After she is completely washed, Accalia stands up. "I will be right back. Do not move." Her voice holds no room for argument, and she leaves the room.

Lovetta waits for a moment before she stands up, feeling a new sense of strength returning. She figured that she was simply fatigued. Grabbing a towel, she climbs out of the bathtub and wraps herself in it. Poking her head out of the door, Lovetta confirms that the older woman was not in the room before walking out. It was the infirmary type room but upon further inspection, it could also pass for a guest room. It was as if the medical supplies had only been put in there the night before. Lovetta locates a wardrobe and throws it open, finding what she could only assume was old clothes of Accalia. She grabs a set of pants and a shirt, returning to the bathroom to grab her panties. With shaking hands and a beating heart, she pulls the panties on and then the pants which thankfully had a draw string because even though Accalia was not a large woman, she was still a woman where Lovetta had just begun to develop into a woman. Pulling the shirt over her head, Lovetta rips a piece at the bottom to tie her hair back. Checking the room again, Lovetta grabs a coat from the wardrobe and throws it on, putting the hood up. Her heart continuing to pound, Lovetta throws open a large bay window and slides out into the sunlight.


	4. Chapter 4

Lovetta's feet hit the ground and she let out a small groan of pain. Looking around, she found several similar buildings all facing the larger one that she had just left. Taking a deep breath, she slowly walks around to the side of the house, keeping an eye out for anyone. It seemed as though the place was deserted. The sun was beginning to set so she figured that most people were inside their homes, eating dinner. At the thought of dinner, her stomach gives a small growl of want but she pushes it down. She had no idea where she was, so she needed to figure out that first. She had no wand, no knowledge. But her parents would know.

"Where did she go?" Lovetta's head snaps up as she hears Accalia's voice come from the open window. Mentally berating herself for not shutting the door, Lovetta quietly but quickly makes her way down the side of the house. The woods were right in front of her, but she was unsure if she should risk it. Without her wand she had no way to protect herself from anything that may be out there, including the people who would no doubt come after her. She just needed another minute to debate the situation.

But a time was something that Lovetta didn't have much of. A few seconds pass before a male comes around the corner and spots her. "I found her!" He calls behind him, sprinting towards her. Lovetta's fight or flight instincts kick in and she takes off into the woods. "She's running!" The man calls as a group of men come around the corner to join him.

"She's mine!" One particular man yells in a voice that she recognized as the younger man from the room she woke up in. Lovetta glances back and finds him sprinting toward her as the first man falls back, grinning and cheering with the other men. Lovetta pumps her arms faster, weaving her way around obstacles and between the trees. "Come back Parvulus! You cannot outrun a wolf!" A sound of despair escapes Lovetta's throat as the man blurs past her at an inhuman speed, stopping in front of her. Lovetta attempts to stop but ends up slamming into his bare chest. "Hello there." Lovetta shoves against him but his arms quickly grasp her tightly, holding her there.

"Let me go! Let me go! Now!" Without thinking, Lovetta leans forward and bites into his chest. The man let's out a noise of shock, but his steal grip does not break. The man, who Lovetta remembered being called Fenrir, picks her up and throws her over his shoulder with ease. "Let me go! You have no right!"

"I think you'll find I have every right." Fenrir chuckles as he walks back toward the house. Lovetta beats on his muscular back, tears streaming down her face.

"Please! Just put me down!" Fenrir can't seem to help but chuckle at her, continuing to walk at a steady pace toward the house.

"That didn't take very long," the first man says with a laugh as the two approach.

"Put me down! Now!" Lovetta continues to yell at Fenrir and hit him. Sick of it, Fenrir plants a brisk but firm swat on her butt which causes her to yelp and quiet for a moment, her face flushing red. "Did you just-"

"Spank you? Yes. Now stop screaming."

The group of young men, presumably Fenrir's friends, all laugh and join them, walking behind them. Lovetta's heart pounds in her chest but she shuts her mouth and wipes her eyes. The young men continue to laugh as Lovetta is embarrassingly brought to the front of the house where Accalia, the older man from earlier, Healer Serena, and a young girl were waiting on the front porch. The group of young men all bow their heads as they approach and stand at the foot of the stairs while Fenrir carries Lovetta up the stairs. Fenrir swings her over his shoulder and sets her down on her feet.

"I told you I would find her and bring her back." Fenrir says smugly, earning a chuckle from his friends.

"Lovetta, you are going to catch a cold on top of your injuries if you continue to run outside with wet hair and without properly drying yourself." Healer Serena admonishes the young woman, shaking her head. "If I may I would like to check over her, making sure she did not sustain any further injuries?"

"She didn't." Fenrir answers, "she did however bite me." The grin on his face was one of amusement, pointing to the faint bite mark on his skin.

"She did?" The older man questions, taking a look at it. "She did not draw blood however."

"She is right here. I'm fine, I don't need another checkup from you. I need to get out of here! You have no right to keep me here." Lovetta argues, finally speaking up for herself again. The older man looks at her with amusement, walking back to stand next to Accalia.

"I did not properly introduce myself before. I am Amigo, the currently Alpha of this pack. You have met my mate, Accalia. This is our son, Fenrir."

"I'm sorry but not to be rude but I don't care! I want to go home!" Lovetta insists, ignoring his extended hand. Fenrir scoffs behind her which earns him a glare from Amigo.

"You will soon understand that you are home but first Accalia, if you could please get her into some clothes that will fit her so we can have dinner. The pack will be gathering shortly for the evening meal and I wish to introduce her there. If she can behave for that long." Amigo places a hand on Lovetta's shoulder, "please behave Parvulus. I would hate to have to punish you."

Fenrir lets out a loud growl of protest and steps forward, "you will not lay a hand on her, Father." The two men stare each other down. Healer Serena and the younger girl both look down and seem to cower.

"You will administer the punishments for her, but I will oversee them, Son." Amigo speaks clearly, "now go with your friends and dress for dinner." Fenrir let's out a growl but walks down the stairs without another word.

"Oh, Mother? Dress her in red." Fenrir grins at the look of confusion and repulsion on Lovetta's face before he turns to his group and they walk off, joking and laughing with each other. Amigo frowns but turns to Accalia and kiss her cheek before walking down the steps.

"Come now my dear. Let us get you some clothes that fit." Accalia places a firm hand on her back and guides her inside. Lovetta looks back at the woods as the sunsets behind them and her heart aches. She had almost escaped. Okay, not really but she had tasted freedom for a very brief moment. Accalia guides Lovetta through a foyer and down a hall to the same room she had stayed in previously. Healer Serena has her sit down as the young girl and Accalia busy themselves with a selection of clothes.

"How do you feel? Tired? Hungry?" Healer Serena asks the young girl, checking on a few general things. Lovetta doesn't answer but her stomach decides then would be a good time to growl. "I figured. You should begin healing faster as we get some food into your system. No more running off like that. You'll just hurt yourself more. Feminam alpha meum? She looks to be in fair condition so I will head out for now and return to my family?"

Accalia nods in dismissal and Healer Serena scampers out of the room. "I have not yet introduced you two. Lovetta, this is Ella. Ella is a young member of the pack, but she is sixteen so you two should get along quite well I think." The young woman turns to Lovetta and gives her a kind smile. "Now, let's get you dressed in some clothes that are yours. Not my old maternity ones." Accalia lays out a red tunic and black leggings next to her while Ella hands her a new pair of panties. "You into the bathroom and put those on. Ella will go with you." Lovetta internally groans but walks to the bathroom with Ella. Ella silently slides the jacket from Lovetta's frame and stands, waiting for her to finish. Lovetta turns her back to the girl and tries to be quick about changing into them. They fit perfectly and she was grateful that Accalia was taller than her as it made sure that the shirt covered everything and was basically a long dress.

"Do you.. Do you have a bra I can wear?" Lovetta asks, covering her chest. With the jacket, her chest had been covered but now that it was semi-exposed there was a lot more showing than she would like. She was still developing but wore bras more often than not.

"Only our nursing mothers wear bras" Ella answers in her usual neutral tone. The two younger girls walk back into the room where Accalia hands Ella the pair of leggings. Ella helps Lovetta pull them on her legs, much the embarrassment of Lovetta. She didn't understand why Ella helping her was necessary. Sure, she was slightly injured but she was fifteen, not five. Ella stands back when they're finished and Accalia examines Lovetta up and down.

"Do not look so tense Parvulus…. You'll be pleased to know that _if_ you behave, you'll see your parents shortly at dinner." Lovetta's head snaps up, genuinely intrigued by this. "Now you will only seem them if you behave and stay with Ella or, preferably, Fenrir."

"Why him?" Lovetta asks in confusion, her brow wrinkling. She liked him least of all. He'd been the one to bring her here ad always had this weird look in his eyes when he was around her.

"He is our alpha to be and your guardian, of sorts. Trust me Parvulus, you want to keep him on your side, as they say." Accalia chuckles a little as if amused by an inside joke, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Now I am going to get dressed. Ella, you have every right to physically restrain her if she attempts to run. Or call for Fenrir. He should be here shortly anyway. Oh, and do her hair."

"Yes ma'am." Ella bows her head as Accalia turns gracefully and leaves. She walks to a vanity and pulls out a stool for Lovetta to sit on, "please sit Miss." Lovetta concedes, trying to 'behave' as Accalia said she needed to. If she could see her parents, she could figure out how to run away and get some answers. Ella brushes out Lovetta's hair before pulling it back from her face with a few simple pins. "There. Now we can see your beautiful face better."

"Can I ask you a question, Ella?"

"Of course," Ella answers, packing up the brush and pins.

"Did they kidnap you too?" Ella laughs, a light and girly sound.

"Oh, miss. No. I was born here. I am a true born, much like y-"

"That's enough Ella." The man from before cuts her off as he enters the room. He was the one who had found her and announced it to the rest of Fenrir's friends. "You know the rules, you had told them before you were assigned your post."

"II didn't see you there Tyler." Ella's face flushes a little and she suddenly becomes shy and fidgety. "I misspoke."

"Yes, you did. But it is alright." Tyler reaches out and gently pushes a strand of hair out of Ella's face. She practically leans into his touch, her eyelids half closing. "Fenrir should be here soon. I advise that you don't say anything else about this matter." Tyler turns to Lovetta and extends a hand, giving her a smile. "Hi. We haven't been properly introduced. I'm Tyler, one of Fenrir's friends and potential betas - the second in command." Lovetta stares at his hand until he draws it back with a chuckle, "despite what you may think it is a pleasure to meet you." A door opens from down the hallway and Tyler steps further into the room, "here come Fenrir himself."

Sure enough, a few seconds later, Fenrir enters the room. His chest is now covered by a dark shirt and he had donned a leather jacket on top of it all. His dark hair was wet as if he had just gotten out of the shower and he had the same glint in his eyes. "I see Mother listened to me. You do look _ravishing_ in red Parvulus. Now shall we go?" He extends a hand to her and grins, his golden eyes glistening with a dark secret.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 -

Lovetta stares at Fenrir's hand before reaching out and swatting at it. Fenrir's hand barely budges but he breaks into a laughing fit along with Tyler, who was standing suspiciously close to Ella now. Fenrir catches her small hand in his much rougher one, yanking her to him with the ease as if he were pulling a weed from the ground. Lovetta extends her free hand and pushes against his chest, looking up at him. Fenrir watches her with amusement, his chest rumbling with laughter under her hand.

"Parvulus, what did my mother say about you getting to see your parents? You behave and you see them; you misbehave and you don't get to see them. It is a simple trade off." Lovetta stops pushing almost immediately but still glares up at him. "There we go. Now you and I will walk together. Ella and Tyler will follow behind us. Understood?"

"You don't need to treat me or talk to me like I'm a child. I'm not stupid or slow." Lovetta snaps back at him, sick of the condecending nature of his voice.

"No you are not Parvulus."

"What does that even mean and why does Accalia keep calling me that?" Fenrir sets her hand in the crook of his elbow, leading her out of the room. Sure enough, Tyler and Ella follow in a similar stance but with Ella looking much more pleased about it than Lovetta looked.

"It's literal translation is from Latin and it means 'little one'. My family will call you that until such a time as you prove yourself to be something different." Fenrir leads her to the front of the house where a large fire could be seen burning from behind the fogged glass of the front door.

"Ah, there you are." Accalia pops up from the front seating area, walking over and examining the coupling. "We're just waiting on your father. He should be here in- oh there you are, Amigo." The couple shares a chaste kiss while Tyler and Ella both bow their heads in respect to the older man.

"Hello there my love. You look stunning as usual." Amigo gives his wife a twirl which causes her to giggle. Even Lovetta could admit she looked beautiful. She wore a simple and flowing yellow dress that was made to accent her every curve and be set beautifully against her dark skin tone. "You are as beautiful as ever. And Lovetta, I must admit you look better than you did before. Though it does seem we need to get some food into you, yes?" The couple laugh and link arms.

"I want to see my parents." Despite Fenrir trying to hold her back, Lovetta takes a step forward. Under Amigo's dark gaze, it was hard to not cower back but she was determined to stand her ground.

"You will in a few moments. Unless you speak out against me one more time. Then your parents will go back to where they were and you will not see them for quite some time." Amigo orders her, walking to the door with Accalia. Without looking back, he adds "control her Fenrir. Or I shall control her for you."

Fenrir lets out a growl and pulls Lovetta back to his side, looping their arms together and whispering harshly in her ear. "If you have any care for yourself or your parents, _behave._ My father is not a patient man and every time you open your mouth, you challenge him." Lovetta frowns but listens to him, choosing to shut her mouth. She tells herself this is of her own free will but deep down she knows that she is listening to him. The doors open with a wave of Amigo's hand and he walks out with his wife first with Fenrir and Lovetta following closely behind and Tyler and Ella following for a short moment before falling to the side. A large crowd of people, ranging in all ages, sexes, and ethnicities, stand awaiting them. As Amigo and Accalia walk through, the crowd parts to create a path and everyone bows their head in respect. They hold the bow for Fenrir and Lovetta but their eyes do come up, inspecting the newcomer. An unknown couple wait at the head of a long table, clearly awaiting their arrival.

A woman with a dark bob steps forward from the coupling and grips forearms with Amigo, sharing a quiet greeting. The woman bows her head in respect and the man behind her follows suit. Fenrir leans down to whisper in Lovetta's ear "that's Miaya, my father's beta. The man behind her is her mate, Ryal." Amigo pulls out the chair to the right hand of the head chair and Accalia takes a seat in it. Amigo then stands beside the head chair which Miaya pulls out for him, bowing her head as he sits. Ryal pulls out the chair beside Accalia for Miaya while Fenrir walks Lovetta around and pulls out a chair for Lovetta. Lovetta sits in it, wishing that she could sink through it and disappear from the stares of the people surrounding them. Fenrir sits at his father's left side and the rest of the people begin to sit down, some at the long head table but most at smaller tables that had been hidden before. As soon as everyone is seated, Amigo stands up to address everyone.

"Lupos! My pack! My family! I welcome you on this New Moon night. Tonight we celebrate the lives of those who have been brought into our lupos in the past month and we welcome home members who have been gone for eleven years. Members whom we thought were dead or worse, captured by those that hunt us. But they have been returned and will now rejoin our Lupos!" Cheers rise up at this statement until Amigo raises his hand, calling for silence. "Adolpha, Peter, please stand." Lovetta's eyes snap up and she scans the crowd for movement. From the end of the table, her parents stand up. Lovetta goes to stand up but Fenrir clamps down on her arm.

"Don't. Not now. My father will not hesitate to make me punish you publically." Lovetta looks between Fenrir's harsh golden eyes and her parents but decides to listen, if only because her arm hurt from where Fenrir was gripping.

"Come forward." Amigo answers, his voice taking on a certain powerful ring to it. Lovetta's parents immediately obey, walking forward. As they entered more into the light, Lovetta could see that they had multiple bruises, especially her mother. There were a few cuts on her forehead and her eyes looked sad and different than before. Adolpha looks at her daughter and her eyes narrow slightly when she sees Fenrir's grip on her forehead. Lovetta's eyes well up with tears, her heart aching to run to her parents and embrace them. Peter looks at his daughter and mouths 'I'm sorry' before he looks back at the ground. "You owe your daughter explanations. You owe your lupus explanations. You will give them now."

Adolpha looks up to argue but Amigo gives her a stern look and she quiets immediately, mummering "yes Meum Alpha." Peter follows suit, repeating what his wife said.

"Very good. Now, Lovetta, stand please." Lovetta looks at Fenrir who nods and releases her arm, standing with her. He puts a hand on the small of her back however, letting him know that he was still in charge and she was to obey. "Look at your daughte.r So bruised and scarred. Because of you. But now, you will answer her questions. You will tell her what we are, what_ you_ are. Look at her." At the last order, Adolpha looks up from the ground and looks at her daughter. Her normally light blue eyes are dark and filled with tears.

"Mom…" Lovetta whispers as her voice breaks.

"I'm sorry Lovetta.. I wish… I wish I had told you sooner. I wish-"

"Tell her Adolpha. My patience wears thin."

"Yes meum alpha… Lovetta, we are… We are werewolves." Loveta's knees give out from underneath her but Fenrir catches her, holding her up. "This is our Lupus, our pack. This is our… This is our home."

"But… No.." Lovetta denies, shaking her head. It didn't add up. "I would know. You- you would have transformed."

"Yes, I've been wondering that myself. How did you keep it from her for eleven years? Of course, you wouldn't attack your own offspring but I have been curious." Amigo wonders aloud, walking around Adolpha and Peter, grinning all the while. "Tell us. How did you keep your true nature a secret?"

"Every month, when it came time, I would brew a delayed sleeping potion and- and put it into your nightly tea. You wouldn't notice as the smell would be covered up by the tea." Lovetta was secretly thankful for Fenrir at that moment as, if he had not been holding her up, she surely would have sunken to the floor at that point. Adolpha lets her tears fall as she looks at her daughter. "When you would go to bed, we would charm your room so no one could enter or exit for twelve hours and then we would go into the cellar and transform. I'm so sor-"

"Silence." With one word, Amigo silences Adolpha. "You did this Adolpha. You dragged your mate away from your home and brought your daughter along with you. It is true, she is only one forth wolf but she is still a member of the pack. She belonged here. You two will get a chance to talk later but for now, we welcome you home!" The pack breaks into a thunderous applause as mother and daughter stare each other down, Lovetta feeling her heart breaking into a thousand pieces. All these years, her parents had lied to her. If what they said was true, Peter had simply gone along and been a pawn. This must have been what they had been arguing about two nights ago. This was what her dad had wanted to tell her. "Now! Sit and we shall dine!" Adolpha and Peter both bow, first to Amigo, then to Accalia and Fenrir then to Miaya before scampering off. Lovetta practically collapses into her chair, trying to compose herself in front of everyone. Fenrir pulls a cloth out of his jacket and hands it to her without another word. "We give thanks to the Moon for her many blessings and now… We feast!" Amigo waves his hand and food appears on all of the tables. The pack cheers and he takes his seat, grinning from ear to ear.

"Is it not nice to know the truth about yourself and your parents?" Accalia asks, making a plate of food and setting it in front of Amigo. "You will get to talk to them after dinner, if you continue to listen and obey." Lovetta looks up at her and finds genuine pity in her eyes.

"You people are- are sick!" Lovetta mutters out, shaking from head to toe.

"Why? Because we were honest with you when your parents lied to you for eleven years?" Fenrir asks her, turning to face her. "Because we brought you back to where you can learn and flourish? Because we brought you _home_?"

"This isn't my home!" Lovetta argues, "we were happy without all of this, even if they are really werewolves!"

Fenrir lets out a bark of laughter, his canines glistening in the candlelight. "Really? Were your parents? Or did they just pretend to be when you weren't around?" Lovetta's mind flashes back to their fight two nights ago and to all the other times she had walked in on them talking in hushed tones.

"Now, now. Let us talk about this later. Lovetta needs to eat before Healer Serena jumps down my throat and we all get into trouble." Accalia interupts their quarreling. "Fenrir? Why don't you go and make her a plate since her arm is still healing?" Fenrir gives his mother a look that Lovetta can't quite read but does as she suggests, setting it in front of the younger girl. "There now. Lovetta, why don't you tell us about your house?"

"I would rather not." Lovetta snaps back, picking up her fork and staring at the mountain of food in front of her. Fenrir makes his own plate and enthusiastically dives into it.

"Very well. Then we'll tell you about our home. Our pack is made up of almost two hundred people, not all are here of course. We have some who are traveling, some who are working, and some who hold regular jobs in the Muggle world. Mostly everyone is connected by blood but not everyone. Some are ocnnected by mating. There are three main bodies of 'power' I suppose you would say. There are the alphas and betas, those of us sitting here. There are the omegas, which are the lower and smaller tear. Then there are those who are neither and are just regular members of the pack. As Amigo said earlier, he and I are the alpha male and female of the pack. Then next would be our son, Fenrir. Then next would be the beta and his or her mate. In that case, that is Miaya and her mate Ryal. We are advised by the Council. It is a basic setup really." Accalia says as she eats, watching Lovetta closely. Lovetta takes it all in, sniffling as she picks at her food.

"Tell her about submissives, dominants, and neutrals." Fenrir says with a grin, "you'll get a kick out of this."

"Fenrir, our traditions and customs are nothing to 'get a kick' out of." Amigo admonishes, earning himself a signature Fenrir eye roll.

"Well, as with wolves, there are those who are dominant and submissive in a mated pair. There are those rare few however who are neither, who are neutral. These people have not been born with a natural mate, either male or female. They are however, of course, submissive to the alphas and betas of the pack. In every mated pair however, there is a submissive partner and a dominant partner. Neither gender is more or less of one of the other, that is a common misconception. For instance, Amigo is the dominant in our pairing while I am the submissive. Miaya is the dominant in her pairing while Ryal is the submissive. Fenrir is the dominant - or will be, in his pairing." The five wolves share a chuckle, sharing an inside joke that Lovetta was not privy to just yet.

"That sounds sick." Lovetta comments, munching on a piece of chicken.

"Not really. You people believe in soul mates. Same sort of concept." Fenrir counters with a casual shrug. The rest of the meal passes with general conversation and a few people come up to talk to the alpha and his family during the course of the meal. Lovetta had to admit, it was a good meal and she felt extremely full afterwards. Fenrir dives into four helpings of the food, filling his plate each time. After her second plate, Lovetta places her fork on her plate and sits back, looking around the clearing. Before she knew it -with all of the thoughts in her head she had lost track of time - Fenrir places his hand on her arm again. "Do you want to talk to your parents?"

"Of course!" Fenrir rolls his eyes but grins, more amused than anything else.

"Dinner is done so now would be the time. Come." Fenrir helps her stand and the two walk off to the side.


	6. Chapter 6

Fenrir leads Lovetta to a small group of logs and tells her to wait there. Her eyes scan the grounds for her parents. Yes, she was upset and having a hard time processing everything that she had been told, but these were still her parents. As soon as her eyes fall on her parents, Lovetta sprints towards them and hugs them, throwing her arms around the both of them. Fenrir stands behind her, rather stoic during the entire thing.

"Oh Lovetta.. I'm so sorry baby" Adolpha murmurs, holding her daughter close.

"It's okay" Lovetta reassures her, fighting tears again.

"Your father wanted to tell you but I- I said no. I should have listened… We should have told you… I'm so sorry." Adolpha murmurs into her hair. The two pull back and her parents look her up and down.

"Are you okay?" Peter asks, concern in his voice.

"Yeah, mostly. Just a bit overwhelmed by it all. How are you guys? What did they do to you?" Peter and Adolpha share a look, guiding her to sit down. They look at Fenrir and he nods, allowing them to sit.

"What did they tell you?" Peter asks, taking her hand gently.

"Well… They told me about the submissives, dominants, and neutrals, about mates - a little, not a whole lot so that's confusing -, and the general structure of the… 'pack'."

"What else do you want to know? We can answer them some." Peter asks, wanting to answer any question but knowing that he can't answer all of them as Amigo had forbidden them to share certain details.

"Are you two 'mates'?" Lovetta asks, immediately getting nods of affirmation. "You two told me that you met while hiking." Another lie, Lovetta thinks to herself. She was a romantic at heart and had always enjoyed the story about her parents meeting while hiking and falling in love.

"We did… Technically" Adolpha reassures her. "I was not born a wolf but was bitten along with my family when I was six years old. When I was eighteen, I was out running with my friends who were the other potential betas - more on that later." Adolpha continues as she sees Lovetta attempt to interrupt with a question. "While we were running in the woods, your father was nearby and hiking. He slipped and cut his hand. I smelled it - wolves have heightened sense, even in human form - and I ran to him. I brought him here. Our alpha at the time, Amigo's father, explained it all to both of us. For about a year your father and I bonded with him studying me like I was an artefact at first. Somewhere along the way your father and I fell in love. When I was nineteen, we copulated our relationship and I became pregnant with you. It was near perfect. I was on the Council, we had you on the way, and we were making a life for ourselves here. I had you at twenty years old and bit your father when you were a year old. When you were three, I-"

"Watch it, Omega. Tread carefully" Fenrir growls from his post. Lovetta did not often get upset with people, it wasn't in her nature. But oh boy did Fenrir come closer every time he spoke to make her snap.

"Of course, Ut Alpha" Adolpha says with a bow of her head. "As I was saying, when you were three, we decided to leave. Well, I decided we should leave. By the time you were four, we ran away. We broke the pack's trust. We stole you from your home." Adolpha gently takes Lovetta's free hand "for that, most of all, I am sorry. It was selfish and ridiculous."

"You had your reasons, I'm sure… So, what do we do now?" Adolpha shares a look of confusion with Peter, "we're not staying here, right? You're my parents. And you just mentioned you were on the Council. Can't we just leave with, like, permission or something?" Fenrir barks with laughter, smirking and rolling his eyes at the ridiculousness of her question. Having enough, Lovetta flips on him. "What? Are you going to stop us?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact I am. Your parents will be Omegas for quite some time. You are a member of this pack. You may not be a wolf, yet, but you will be expected to live as we live, as a wolf." Lovetta stands up, her usual calm and go with the flow demeanor being taken over by her confusion and fury.

"I will stay as long as my parents stay but I will _not_ be a wolf. I will not be pushed around by you or anyone else here. I am si-"

"Lovetta! Please!" Adolpha rises to her feet and grabs her daughter's arm, imploring her to stop. This wasn't like her daughter at all. Lovetta was kind and caring.

"No Mum! I won't be bullied by him. If this was truly a 'family' as they said, we would be able to leave if we wanted to, not be bullied into staying by some pompous, smirking, jerk!" Fenrir growls and moves to stand over Lovetta, staring her down. Adolpha and Peter immediately cowers, Adolpha releasing Lovetta's arm. Lovetta is able to hold his gaze, her brow furrowed. She knew this wasn't her. She was a passionate pacifist. But Fenrir, his parents, the whole situation was too much for her to handle quietly. "I do not-"

Fenrir snarls and his hand flies up with inhuman speed to grab the back of her neck, applying pressure to a point which silences Lovetta's next words and causes her to whimper. "Listen, Parvulus. And listen well. You were born into the Pack. You may not be bitten yet, but you are a member, just as much as anyone else. So, yes. You will listen. You will obey or you will be punished. Obey, and you will be rewarded. This is our way. This is the way in which you shall live now. Do you understand?"

"Y-yes" Fenrir releases her neck and smirks as she bows her head, rubbing her neck. He knew that she was only one quarter wolf but also knew that deep down this meant she wanted to submit to him.

"Now, say goodbye to your parents. It is time for you to turn in for the night."

"B-but I have more questions" Lovetta squeaks out, her anger subsiding into shocked sadness.

"And you can ask them tomorrow. For now, you need rest. Say goodbye" Fenrir's eyes and tone of voice leave no room for argument. Lovetta scowls but doesn't argue with him. She hugs both of her parents in turn, murmuring that she would see them soon and she loves them.

"We'll see you tomorrow. Please, don't fight with them. With anyone" Adolpha implores her daughter, holding her hands after they separate. "It will be a lot easier if you listen to them. I promise you they aren't cruel. I'll see you soon." She places a kiss on Lovetta's cheek before letting go of her hands. Lovetta turns to Fenrir who was still smirking.

"I believe my parents need you, Omegas." Adolpha and Peter both bow their heads and walk away.

"You don't need to be so mean" Lovetta comments as they begin to walk back into the throng of people.

"I'm not being 'mean'. I'm being assertive."

"You can be assertive and still be kind" Lovetta counters, her eyes roaming the crowd. "Where is Ella?'

"Around here somewhere with Tyler I imagine. Do you want to see her?"

"I'm not tired and you sent away the only familiar faces, so yes, I would like to." Fenrir takes her arm and leads her through the crowd of people. Lovetta has to quicken her steps to keep up with his long strides. He walks up towards the other edge of the woods where a group of logs was waiting. His group of friends is gathered here, laughing and joking with each other. As Lovetta and Fenrir approach, the group pauses and bows their head respectively before continuing to laugh and joke. Fenrir lets go of Lovetta and walks to his group, greeting individual members by grasping their forearms. Most of them Lovetta recognizes from when she ran but others she is not familiar with.

"Lovetta! Hello!" Ella steps away from Tyler's side and greet Lovetta, a genuine smile on her face. Lovetta nods and gives her a tight smile. "Did you get a chance to speak with your parents?"

"I did, yeah."

"Good! Did they answer your questions? I imagine you have a lot. This must be very strange since they told you absolutely nothing about the Pack." Ella takes a sip from a cup she holds, seeming genuinely concerned.

"They answered most of them but _Fenrir_" Lovetta spits his name, casting him a dark look "pulled me away before I could ask them more."

"Well, if you ever need someone to I'm more than happy to answer what I can. And I'm sure that Fenrir will answer some if you ask him to. Do you want to sit?" Lovetta nods and Ella leads her to one of the less crowded logs, sitting beside her.

"I doubt that Fenrir will answer anything that I have questions about" Lovetta says, rubbing her neck slightly. It was still aching, and she knew that it was probably bright red from where he had grabbed.

Ella gives her a kind smile "I'm sure that he will. He really isn't all that bad, once you get to know him. The children seem to adore him."

"Children?" Lovetta questions, looking around the large group of people.

"Oh yes, we have many children here. You just haven't seen them, but you will tomorrow. Fenrir, Tyler, and I are taking you around and showing you everything tomorrow morning. It is important that you become familiar with your new home. Well, new old home I suppose would be the right way to say it." Lovetta hugs herself, rubbing her arms up and down. "Are you cold?"

"A little but I'm okay."

"I'm sorry. Wolves don't feel cold as much as humans do." Ella laughs a little bit, "it is why most of us do not have jackets on. Plus, there's the fire which provides light and warmth." It was true, the night was not as cold as it probably would have been because there was a large fire burning in the center of all of the festivities. Fenrir, hearing their conversation, walks over to them and slides his jacket off, placing it on Lovetta's shoulders. Lovetta looked up at him and notices that the smirk is slowly disappearing, being replaced by a genuine smile.

"Can't have you freezing your ass off. Don't think my parents, or yours, would be too happy if you froze." Fenrir shrugs "besides, I don't need you complaining about how cold you are every five seconds." Lovetta scowls but doesn't comment, pulling the jacket tighter around her shoulders. She had to admit, it was a nice gesture from him, even with the smart-alecky comments. Fenrir smirks a little bit more and walks back over to his friends.

"I told you that Fenrir isn't that bad." Ella says in a sing song voice.

"That was a one off. So, are all of these guys 'potential betas'?" There were about seven guys in the group, not counting Fenrir himself.

"No, only four of them. It'll be narrowed down even more sometime in the near future. You've met Tyler. The blonde is Jacob. The one with the birthmark covering his neck is Denzel. And lastly there is Daniell." Each person looked so different from the others. Tyler was tall with broad shoulders while Jacob was tan and tall but stockier and more rough looking, like a muggle rugby player. Denzel had a bright smile that was more genuine than the others. Daniell was the largest, seeming to take up the space of two people. He did have a baby face though.

"And do they all have… 'mates'?"

"All of them have found theirs except for Daniell."

"Really? But they're all so young, especially Denzel."

"Well, he is the youngest at eighteen" The shock was not hidden on Lovetta's face which causes Ella to laugh a little bit. "Most wolves find their mates before the age of nineteen but don't worry. Just because you find your mate doesn't mean that you're going to mate, in the traditional sense." Tyler breaks off from the group and walks over, sitting himself down next to Ella.

"Hello ladies. What're you two chattering about?"

"You and the potential other betas." Ella answers with a girlish smile.

"Oh, I know you can't resist talking about me" Tyler teases, putting his arm around Ella who giggles in response.

"So… Are you two dating or how does it work?"

"We don't really 'date' in the pack. I mean, there's no point if you or your partner could find your mate at any moment." Ella answers her "but Tyler and I are going to be mated someday."

"Once she is over the age of seventeen, and wants to, we'll be joined and then mated." Tyler says it all with a wishful smile, placing a chaste kiss on Ella's forehead. "That will be one of the happiest days of my life, I can already tell."

"How did you two… find out?"

"I was seven and he was eleven. I was working out in the orchard and he was fixing a fence nearby. I slipped and cut my arm; from there we knew." Ella says it all with a shrug and a smile, as if it were the most normal thing in the entire world.

"Does everyone cut themselves to find out their mate?"

"Blood is a factor in it. There's something in it to where your inner wolf just tells you, through the smell of the blood. I mean, during the mating ceremony you are bound together by blood." Ella says with a smile, leaning into Tyler's touch.

Lovetta doesn't ask anything else, allowing herself to fall into her thoughts and think. Her dad had been cut when her mom found her; Ella had been cut when Tyler found her… She had cut herself and then Fenrir found her. The light goes off in her head and her heart rate speeds up slightly. She jumps to her feet and shrugs off the jacket.

"Lovetta? Is everything okay?" Ella asks her, frowning slightly. Lovetta looks around before taking off, running through the crowd of people and toward the house. Ella calls after her, trying to follow her. Lovetta runs up the steps and pushes open the front door, just needing to get away. She runs down the hallway and into the only room she was familiar with, heading to the bathroom. Right as Ella enters the room, she shuts and locks the bathroom door, sinking down so her back is against it.

She realized now why she was brought here. Why all of this was so important. Why Fenrir was going to be her guardian. Why they hadn't wanted her to be away.

She was Fenrir's mate. She was to be their next alpha female.


	7. Chapter 7

"Lovetta, please come out and talk to us" Ella pleads again, knocking. "I'm sorry if what I said upset you somehow. I didn't mean to. Please come out so we can talk." Lovetta stays silent, trying to calm her heart rate. She hears whispers and movement from outside the door but doesn't question. Against the door, she feels a weight pressing where her back was also pressed.

"I can hear your heartbeat Lovetta" comes Fenrir's voice from the other side. It sounded like he was worried. "Will you do something for me? I want you to breathe in for a count of three… Hold for three… then breathe out for three. Repeat that until your heart rate slows down a bit. Please?" Lovetta frowns but decides to do what he says, convinced it won't worry. Surprisingly, after a couple of times, she begins to feel her heart rate slow. "There we go." She can almost hear the surprise in his voice. "Why don't you come out so we can talk about this? Tyler has even gone to fetch our parents so we can talk. I promise you we can explain all of this."

Lovetta continues to hold her silence, much to his displeasure. It was really hard to be patient with her, but he was trying, especially after her reaction to figuring it out. He had figured that she would figure it out but wasn't expecting her to figure it out so soon. She had been awake less than a whole day and pieced it together. He was at least grateful his mate was smart and not a complete moron. Now if only she was more open to the idea of being a part of the pack.

"Lovetta, you need to come out. You can't hide in there forever." Fenrir says a slight tone of annoyance creeping into his voice. "Come out now so we can talk about this like real adults."

"I'm not an adult, I'm a fifteen-year-old girl!" Lovetta counters, standing up and walking to the counter. She wets her hands and splashes her face, trying to wake herself up slightly.

"That is beside the point. Now open the door or I'm going to come in myself." Fenrir threatens her, standing his ground.

"I'd like to see you try. I may not know much about woodwork but I do know that that is a pretty solid door so I doubt that you can-'' Lovetta cuts off as the door easily slides open, Fenrir smirking and slipping a wand back up his sleeve.

"You forget something Parvulus. I'm over the age of seventeen, I can use magic whenever I feel like it. Now, come here." Lovetta stands her ground so Fenrir, with a signature roll of his eyes, stalks over and picks her up, slinging her over his shoulder once again. She shrieks and smacks him on the back.

"Put me down you brute!"

"Fine!" Fenrir swings her back over, tossing her on to the bed as though she weighed no more than a ragdoll. Lovetta bounces for a second before she is finally able to sit upright and glare at him. Fenrir chuckles at the indignant look on her face. Her face was flushed, her hair was now messy, and she looked thoroughly unamused. "What? You said to put you down, so I did."

"That is not what I meant and you very well-"

"What seems to be the issue now?" Amigo asks, walking in the room. He is accompanied by his wife and followed by first Tyler then by Lovetta's parents who immediately go to her side.

"I figured it out, why you all brought me here." Lovetta says, standing up. She may only stand at around 5'2 (she was still growing!) but she refused to be looked down upon by this man who probably stands around six feet.

"How did that happen?" Amigo asks, raising a singular eyebrow and looking at Ella, Fenrir, and Tyler in turn. Tyler moves to stand by Ella, placing a hand on her lower back and giving her a slight nod.

"Well, meum alpha, Lovetta and I were talking about the potential betas, then about Tyler and I being mates. She asked how we knew, and I told her our story. She commented how blood seemed to be a factor and I said that our inner wolf lets us know. She then went silent for a moment and I suppose that is when she figured it out. I should have been more careful; I accept the consequences of my actions." Ella bows her head, ready to accept whatever they threw at her.

"You did nothing wrong Ella. You have been the most honest person since I've been here. It's everyone else that's lied to me and deceived me." Lovetta insists. She may not have known Ella very long, but she knew that Ella was the only one out of the pack that she trusted.

Amigo scowls, his patience being tested by the young member. She would need to learn their ways sooner rather than later. "It seems as though you have made a simple mistake, an error in judgement. Nevertheless, I expect you to have a stern talking to with your mate Tyler and will leave any punishment up to your discretion. You are both dismissed. Accalia will help her dress for bed tonight."

"Yes, my alpha." Tyler obeys, bowing to the alphas and then to Fenrir before leaving with Ella, the two beginning to whisper as soon as they cross the threshold of the room. Amigo then turns to Lovetta and sighs, shaking his head.

"I had rather hoped that this could wait until you had been here longer. It seems that myself and the Council underestimated your intelligence" Amigo admits, pulling out a wand and summoning up two chairs, one for himself and one for Accalia. "Sit, Parvulus. It seems we have much to talk about." Lovetta, though skeptical, takes a seat on the bed in between her parents who were looking rather pale and anxious.

"It is true, you are our son's one true mate." Accalia says with a slight smile. "We have known this for quite some time, since you were three years old."

"So, I'm right. This is why my parents left."

Accalia nods and continues. "Your mother found out and, against the orders of the Council and my husband, took you and left."

"But how did you know? I mean, you would have only been… Wait, how old _are _you?" Lovetta asks Fenrir, unsure of his age.

"I'm twenty-one" Fenrir says, waiting for her to blow up again.

Lovetta's jaw practically hits the floor. She knew he was older but six years? Six years older? That was crazy! How could they expect her to _mate_ with someone who was six years older than her?

"I know what you're thinking right now but wolves, and wizards, age slower than regular people. Age is not as large a factor in our society." Accalia says, an amused smile on her face. "Why, Amigo is nine years older than me, but I couldn't be more in love with him if I tried to be. That's the way mating works. Your mate is your soulmate. So, when we found out that you were more than likely his mate, Fenrir was nine years old and you were three." Accalia nods to Adolpha and lets her take over the story.

"I was worried because most of the time when you find out you, or someone else, is the mate of an alpha when they are that young, it means bad things are going to happen. I tried to avoid it by running away. The prophecy, for lack of a better way to put it, was not very specific. It spoke of a girl born in the winter, just like you were. There were two other girls who fit the description. We had hoped that if we took you away that it couldn't apply to you. After they didn't look for us anymore and find us, we figured we were safe. That's why we worried so much when you cut your hand the other day, we knew it was still a possibility." Adolpha brushes back a wild strand of Accalia's hair, giving her a pained smile.

"So… What does all of this mean anyway? I don't want to be a part of this pack, much less an alpha female or whatever."

Adolpha and Fenrir both growl in frustration at this. "Despite your 'wants', you are a part of this pack and have been since you were born. What aren't you getting about that? How hard is that to comprehend?" Fenrir asks her before his father can speak, looking at her. His golden eyes glistened with frustration. It was clear that he was losing any remaining patience he has with her.

"Sorry but yesterday my life consisted of gardening with my mother and studying to become a successful witch. Not be in a strange place with people I don't know and being told that my path in life has already been decided." Lovetta snaps back at him, barely suppressing a yawn at the end. Accalia notices however and stands up.

"That is, it for tonight. We will continue this discussion in the morning. Lovetta still has injuries that need to heal, and she needs rest. Now, Amigo, if you don't mind I will settle her in and then join you my love." Amigo stands and vanishes the chair, nodding in agreement. He places a chaste kiss on her cheek, wishes his son and Lovetta goodnight and exits. "Will you follow me Lovetta? We have your new lodgings all prepared. My handmaid usually sleeps in here."

"Am I going to be sleeping with my parents?" Lovetta asks, standing up.

"No, you'll be staying under the watchful eye of Fenrir." Accalia says, turning to leave. "Come now."

"What? No. I'm not staying in the same place as him." Accalia turns quickly, her dark eyes flashing with something dangerous.

"Child, I have been more than patient and fair because I know what it is like to be thrust into a role you never thought possible. But I draw a line here. You have tried to run away already, and we do not trust you so you will be staying in the same room as Fenrir, not the same bed. You will stay there and that is where you will sleep and dress. This is the way that it is. This is my final word." With that, Accalia turns on her heels and walks out of the room. Fenrir smirks and follows her. Lovetta and her parents follow them both.

"Lovetta, what did I tell you about fighting with people here? It will be easier if you don't." Adolpha urges her daughter, keeping her head down.

"I can't help it. Fenrir just makes me so… ugh!"

"I can hear you you know." Fenrir says, glancing over his shoulder.

"Good, maybe then you'll actually begin to behave like a normal human being." Lovetta snaps back, crossing her arms over her chest. The group crosses the front foyer and goes down another hallway, heading toward a door at the end. Accalia pushes it open and they step into an entire wing of the house.

"This is where you and Fenrir will live until such time as he takes over for his father as alpha." Accalia gives Lovetta her usual smile as she enters and looks around. The walls were painted a dark green, much like the color of evergreen trees. There was dark mahogany furniture and very sparse decorations. She could see a small kitchen off to one side and an office to another. There was a door that was closed, presumably the bedroom and another that was partly open but was too dark to tell what it was. From the middle of the sitting room they were standing in hung a large chandelier with many cobwebs on it. "You can change it almost any way you like. It was Fenrir's grandfather's wing originally. Alpha Tyrell, Fenrir's great grandfather, built this house and made his own wing, instructing that as long as the house houses the alpha and their family, this wing was to be given to the next alpha upon their sixteenth birthday, if not earlier. It has not changed much since it was built but you are allowed to change most things if you so wish. But for now, say goodbye to your parents and we shall get you dressed and ready for bed." Lovetta takes a moment to say goodbye to her parents. Once again, she gets the instruction to obey from her mother before they leave. Accalia leads the way into the bedroom and shows her how a twin bed had been set up against one wall. There was a queen size bed in the room as well but not much else. Two wardrobes, a closet off to one end, and a bathroom could all be seen.

Fenrir walks out of the bathroom, clad only in boxers. Lovetta yelps in shock and covers her eyes. Fenrir pays her no mind however and tosses his clothes in a basket off to the side while Accalia crosses the room to one of the wardrobes. She opens the door, revealing a collection of clothing that was obviously meant for Lovetta. Accalia reaches in and selects a dark green night gown and lays it on the bed. She gestures and Lovetta follows her into the bathroom. Lovetta washes her face and brushes her teeth under the careful eye of Accalia. After applying lotion, Accalia instructs her to sit and brushes her hair for her. Accalia is gentle with the young girl's hair, careful not to pull at it. She places the hair brush down and helps Lovetta dress.

"Well, I will see you two tomorrow. Sleep well" Accalia gives them both a smile and leaves. Fenrir, now laying in his bed, picks up his wand and mutters a spell, locking the doors. He lays the wand on his bedside table.

"Turn out the lights" he instructs, pulling the blankets up around him.

"You could say please" Lovetta mutters, shutting off the light. Using the moonlight coming in from the windows, she finds her way to her bed. She slides under the covers and curls up. At home, she normally reads before bed or gardens other nights. With this being the case and with everything else that had happened that day, even though she was exhausted, she couldn't sleep.

Tossing and turning for an hour, Lovetta stares at the wall. She contemplates everything that had happened that day. So much had changed within such a short period. She knew she needed to listen to her mother. Amigo and Fenrir had shown that they had grown tired of her, it was all too obvious. Accalia was slightly more patient with her but was getting close. Starting tomorrow, I'll try to fit in; I'll be true to myself and not let them get under my skin Lovetta promises herself.

"Will you please stop moving around and go to sleep? Do you need a Dreamless Sleep Potion?"

"No, I never want a sleep potion again." After learning how her mother had abused them for years, she never wanted another one. "I'll try to settle… I'm sorry."

"It's OK," Fenrir says, questioning in his voice. Lovetta rolls over to one side and hugs a second pillow, closing her eyes. A few moments later she dozes off, falling into a deep sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

* One Week Later *

Fenrir rises early, far before Lovetta. He bathes and dresses, careful not to disturb her. Over the past week they had fallen into a pattern in the mornings and evenings. He had also been planning a surprise for her since day two when he had found out her love of gardening and reading. It was nearly ready now. He'd been working on it every spare moment he had.

Walking out of the bathroom, Fenrir walks to the door and unlocks it. He flicks his wand and lights the chandelier. The soft light perfectly illuminates the room, displaying the hundreds of books that were kept there. There were journals, fiction books, and every other kind of book you could imagine. No one had been in the room since his grandfather had passed. Fenrir had been cleaning and repainting it, making it fit more to Lovetta's likes. He'd also gone to her old house and gotten some of her items. Today, he just needed to add the finishing touches. He walks over to one of the tables and plants a tree in a self-watering flower pot, careful not to get any dirt anywhere other than inside the pot. He places it in front of one of the windows then repeats the process again, placing it in front of the other window.

Fenrir does a quick check over and smiles slightly, proud of himself. "Now time to wake up the beasty." He cleans up and puts away the potting soil before walking back to their room. He glances at her and can't help but smile. Sure, she was a pain in the ass but she was his mate. Currently, she was curled up into a ball around her pillow. A knock at the front door draws his attention away and he opens it to see Ella. "Yes?"

Ella bows in respect "a man from the Ministry is here to see your father and he wishes to have you by his side. He's in his study waiting for you."

"Okay, stay with her. Don't wake her. I want her to sleep for this, as long as possible." Fenrir steps into the hall and goes to his father.

Lovetta rolls over and groans softly as sunlight hits her directly in the face. Slowly, she blinks herself awake. She sits up and stretches, her back giving a soft pop. Glancing around the room she frowns slightly as Fenrir was nowhere to be found. Sliding out from under the thick covers, she walks to the bathroom. After spending a few minutes freshening up, she walks out to find Ella making her bed. Ella looks up and pauses in her task, bowing her head respectfully.

"Good morning, Lovetta."

"Morning Ella. Do you know where Fenrir is?"

"Something came up and Alpha needed him urgently." Ella fluffs the pillow before replacing it. "He told me to let you sleep. What would you like to wear today?"

"I can pick my own clothes, Ella." The two had been having this argument all week.

"That is true but that is not the way that things are done around here, as you know." Ella shakes her head a little and makes a choice by plucking out a blouse and pants. Lovetta frowns and strips, trying to cover herself as much as possible.

"Just because it isn't, doesn't mean it couldn't be done." Lovetta pulls the blouse over her head and pulls the pants up over her legs. Ella pulls Lovetta's hair through the neck hole. "Can't I pull my hair up?"

"Unless you are working it is tradition to keep your hair down."

Lovetta bites the inside of her cheek so she didn't snap. It was a coping mechanism she'd been doing to keep herself from snapping at people. She especially did this around Amigo, Fenrir, or really anyone who spoke about 'tradition'. "Fine, where is Fenrir anyway?"

"I'm right here." Fenrir calls as he walks in, slamming the door behind him. Ella follows Lovetta into the sitting room and bows her head. "Are you hungry? We're going to eat breakfast with my parents and yours. Then I have a surprise for you."

"Okay?" Lovetta had never been given a gift by Fenrir and didn't know how to react.

"Don't act too excited," Fenrir says sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "Come on, we're sitting on the back patio." Without another word, he turns and walks out. Lovetta sighs and hurries to catch up, waving goodbye to Ella who had already begun to do her daily tasks. Since Lovetta was so much shorter than Fenrir she had to take extremely long strides to try to keep up with him.

"Can you slow down? Please? Some of us aren't giants." Fenrir looked back and smirks, not slowing down even a little bit. Huffing, Lovetta rolls her eyes and attempts to keep up. They reached the back patio where Accalia and Amigo were seated and Lovetta's parents were standing. As Lovetta walks in, she gives the Alpha's a respectful nod but then hugs her parents. She still wasn't happy with them for keeping this secret from her but she was working on forgiving them.

"Lovetta, good morning. Come and sit." Accalia says, giving her a kind smile.

Lovetta releases her parents and walks to her assigned seat. Fenrir pulls out her chair for her, much to her chagrin. She sits on her seat and scoots in. Fenrir sits and then Lovetta's parents uncover the food. Immediately, Lovetta's nose is filled with the aroma of hot food that was mouthwatering. Sausages, bacon, eggs, and rolls were stacked high on the trays. There was also fruit which was a brand new addition to the menu. Lovetta had noted almost immediately that the werewolves' diet mostly consisted of meat, especially meat that was more on the rare side of things. Fenrir immediately digs into the food, serving both himself and Lovetta.

"I can feed myself, Fenrir." Lovetta snaps at him, dumping the copious amounts of food off of her plate and on to his. Fenrir looks at her and scowls, growling softly. "Besides I'm not going to eat that much." Lovetta looks away, unable to meet his gaze for that long. She helps herself to some fruit.

"Lovetta, do not snap at him. He is simply trying to make sure that you are eating enough. It is his job as your mate to take care of you, just as it is your job as his mate to take care of him." Adolpha gently admonishes, sitting back in her chair. Lovetta's frown deepens. She hated the word mate with a deep burning passion.

"Your mother is right on this, Lovetta." Accalia says, getting Amigo's food for him and placing it in front of him while placing a kiss on his cheek. She then helps herself to food. "This is why I serve Amigo before I help myself and why your father serves your mother. Did you never notice that when you were at your other house?" Lovetta had noticed that her father served her mother when they were at their home but hadn't thought much of it until now. It wasn't just a small, sweet gesture that she had thought it was. He was forced to do it, just like they were forced together. "You see, submissive in mated pairs find it pleasing to serve their dominant partner before themselves. Perhaps you can start doing this for Fenrir."

Lovetta can't help but snort laughter, smirking slightly. "I can assure you, Mrs. Accalia that will _never _happen."

"You say that now Parvulus." Amigo says, taking a bite of his food. "You promised that you would be more open to our ways."

"You're right, I did. I did not say that I would completely submit to an idea that I don't believe in. You all say that by doing this, by giving in, I'll feel some sort of pleasure but I do not have any concrete proof of this; therefore, I do not believe in it."

"How about a little… deal? A wager of sorts." Accalia offers her, her eyes glistening with mischief.

"I'm listening." Lovetta says with a slight eyebrow quirk.

"You truly give in to our ways, for one whole week - seven days from sunup to sun down - and at the end of the week you take a truth potion with only your mother and myself in the room. If you do not truly believe us then you may have a week back at your house with your parents. If you do believe us however, you give yourself over for the rest of your time here." Lovetta's jaw drops slightly. It was a large wager, a very large wager. She had a lot to lose but she also had a lot to gain. Back at her home she could contact the Ministry and they could sort this entire thing out. What if she was wrong though? What if there was some part of her that would listen to their wolfish tendencies?

No, I'm only a quarter wolf at most. If I was even remotely wolf, it would have shown up by now. They said that themselves. Lovetta thinks to herself, weighing all of her options. Bucking up her confidence, Lovetta agrees "fine, I'll take your wager. But I want my week back home to be unsupervised. As in you and your entire pack, every single member, stays away for the week."

Accalia nods, extending her hand "I will make that deal." Lovetta reaches across the table and clasps the woman's hand tightly and shakes it, keeping eye contact. "You start tomorrow. I will take you around the pack today and show you exactly how our submissives live. You can talk to them and ask them what they do" So far, Lovetta had gotten a tour but had not been able to truly speak to members of the pack. "Fenrir, your gift will have to wait for later tonight if that is alright." Fenrir agrees and continues to eat, smirking. "Well, eat up Parvulus. We have a full day of activity ahead of us and you'll need your strength."

(Hey guys! I'm sorry for not updating lately. Life has gotten absolutely CRAZY. My classes are all online now and I'm hoping that I'll get to write more since all my extracurricular activities are canceled. Please review/send me messages! Thank you to those who favorited/followed this story! It means the world.)


	9. Chapter 9

Lovetta and Accalia both finish their breakfasts fairly quickly. Accalia kisses Amigo's cheek and stands up, beckoning for Lovetta to follow her. Lovetta does so, waving goodbye to her parents who promised they would see her later. Accalia and her walk to the front of the house and out the door, heading into the bustling village. There were people skinning animals, there were children running around and being chased by other children. There were men and women holding baskets of laundry, fruits, vegetables, and various items. The pack operated on a trade business to Lovetta's guess as she had not seen any money trade hands except for Fenrir and his friends.

"Take a seat on the bench and I will return shortly." Accalia orders gently, giving her a smile before heading down the stairs and walking into the crowd. Lovetta sits on the bench and just watches people, wishing that she could run off into the woods and go home. As she watches, Fenrir's friends come out of the woods, their chests bared as they so often were. They laugh and joke, sauntering towards the house. They see her and a few of them grin, never wanting to miss a chance to taunt her, Jacob and Daniell more so than the others. Tyler was always kind to her but she suspected that was because of her relationship and semi-friendship with Ella. Denzel didn't say much but was always very respectful of her. Jacob jumps up on the balcony, catching himself easily and leaning over.

"Hello there, Parvulus. And how are you on this fine morning?" Lovetta just scowls at him and rolls her eyes, causing him to bark laughter and throw his head back.

"Oh come on, leave her alone. You know that she thinks she's better than us wolves!" Daniell calls up to him, smirking. "She only deigns to come among us commoners!" He gives a large, mock bow.

Lovetta, having enough, stands up and takes a step forward. "Actually, I don't look down on you for being a wolf. I look down on you because you're both rude and condescending for no reason whatsoever! Just because you are part werewolf does not mean that you need to act as though you were raised by wolves. Now if you will kindly walk away, I am waiting for Mrs. Accalia to come back and I don't think that she would like to find you all teasing me." Jacob jumps down and smirks, putting his arm around Daniell.

"I'm shaking in my nonexistent boots." He quips back, smirking. Lovetta balls her fists and bites her cheek.

The front door is thrown open and out comes Fenrir, sans shirt as per usual. "Hello mates!" The four boys hoop and holler as they see their leader, bowing their heads in respect. "Oh what are you doing my mate? Did she tell you what wager she agreed to with my mom?"

"Wait, you agreed to a wager with Alpha Accalia?" Tyler questions her, shock on his face. "And you let her Fenrir?"

"Of course I did! Just wait until you hear it. Go on, tell them Parvulus." Fenrir smirks, leaning against the railing and looking at her.

"I agreed to truly act as the submissive 'mates' do for one full week. When I don't feel any feelings from it, other than disgust and regret, then I go home with my parents for one unsupervised week." Lovetta smirks, crossing her arms. "It will be a welcome escape from all of this… mess."

"You forgot the part of what happens when she wins." Fenrir smirks and laughs a little, "You'll love this, boys."

"If she wins, which she won't, I have to… I have to 'give myself over' for the rest of my time here. She won't win though. I know myself." Lovetta sits back down on the bench, crossing her leg. The five boys laugh at her arrogance, Tyler and Denzel less than the rest. "Why are you all laughing at me? It is a solid deal!"

"Not really. Alpha Accalia is from a line of seers _and_ she was sorted into Slytherin so she doesn't do things like this on a whim _and _she's never lost a wager with anyone." Lovetta's heart drops slightly at Denzel's words. "You really got the short end of the stick there."

"I'm not a wolf though. It won't work on me because this is something that only affects wolves." Lovetta argues.

"My mother doesn't make mistakes, she doesn't do things on a whim. Denzel is right, Parvulus, you really did get the short end of the shaft here." Fenrir laughs and looks at her, "I cannot wait to see you as the submissive mate that you are supposed to be. I promise you, that-"

"That is enough Fenrir, you and your betas go on and hunt." Accalia walks up, cutting her son off. The betas immediately bow in respect to her and Ryal who was following close behind. "Go on, I want you boys back here for lunch."

"Yes Mother," Fenrir jumps over the banister and kisses her cheek before turning to his boys. "Shall we?" He grins, his yellow eyes glistening in the sun with excitement. The five of them turn toward the woods and take off at inhuman speeds, easily disappearing a few seconds later. Lovetta watches after them before looking at Accalia who was also watching, a fond smile on her face.

"Come darling. We have much to see and do today." Lovetta walks down the stairs and stands beside her. "You remember Ryal, correct?"

"Yes, you're the submissive mate to the beta of the pack." Ryal smiles, his eyes kind, and he nods.

"That is correct. I apologize for not being around as often as I would like but I have a job outside of the pack and have had a rough time of splitting my time as I would like. My daughter has been keeping me updated on all the happenings though. She says you're settling in quite nicely though." The trio begins to walk and Lovetta connects dots she hadn't before.

"You're Ella's father, aren't you?"

"Yes I am. She is our only child and we are very blessed to have her. We are hoping that someday she and her mate will follow in our footsteps and ascend as the next beta pairing of the pack but we shall see." Ryal gives her a small smile and Lovetta sees the resemblance to Ella. It became clearer as he smiled.

"Now, today I thought that we could go around the village and Ryal and I could tell you what life is like for submissives here. Then if you have questions at the end, we can talk to other submissives or just answer them ourselves. How does that sound?" Accalia asks, her smile kind. Lovetta notices for the first time whenever Accalia gives these smiles, they never quite reach her eyes. They were a mask.

"That sounds fine to me."

"Wonderful! Ryal, would you start us off?" Ryal nods in agreement and takes over leading the way through the village.

"Submissive is an old term that some people who come from the outside world find to be dismissive or rude. Even some members of the pack who have grown up here believe this but it simply isn't true. Submissive have their own power, particularly when it comes to their dominant mate. See, a dominant mate will never want to hurt their submissive. It is one of the worst and most painful things that a dominant can do, particularly if they are a beta or an alpha of the pack. It is especially hard for them to hurt their mate, as their mate is one of their confidants and advisors.

"Now, you may be asking what causes someone to be dominant or submissive. We don't know this exactly, just like we don't know how mates are decided or why some people are never mated or are never distinguished as dominant or submissive. This is where our faith comes in. See, our pack does not preach a particular religion. We do believe in a deity of sorts. Some members of the pack believe it is the Christian god, others believe it is multiple gods. We allow the freedom to explore religions. In pack practice however, we say that the Great Moon is our guardian, no matter the specific name you decide to assign to it.

"We know someone is dominant or submissive by instincts and sometimes, when it is less clear through instinct, by watching them as they grow up. Sometimes we know right as they are born whether they are either or. Mates are sometimes picked out by the seers and the healers when they are going to have a large impact on the pack while others are decided when they meet later in life. A mate pairing can be friends while they grow up and not know they are mates until one of them begins to mature. That is when they will know. Typically, it is the dominant who identifies it first. Just as your mother with your father or Miaya with me. Sometimes it can be the submissive who finds out. As you already know blood is a factor in finding out who your mate is.

"Now that I've given some background, let's move on to how a submissive acts. It is different for each pairing. Some submissives will want to be completely submissive and will go along with whatever their mate wants. Others will want some more leniency. Most couples, as they mature and come closer to their ceremony date, will talk about what their relationship holds. By giving over into instinct, a pairing will find it easier to find what works for them in particular. No two pairings are the same. Some basic pack expectations though are that a submissive will serve food to their dominant at meal times before getting their own, though some dominants enjoy taking care of their mate's nutrition by making their plate for them. Again, it needs to be an open discussion between the two. For instance, I make my wife's plate for her when we are in public but when we are in private, she makes my plate for me while I handle Ella's plate if she is there or I pour the drinks when she is not. It depends on the circumstances. Whenever the submissive makes punishable mistakes, the Alphas will normally leave the punishment up to the mate unless the offense is too severe or the mate is too young. For example, if the punishment should be a physical punishment but the one mate is under the age of fifteen and the other mate is over the age of seventeen, then the parent will be responsible for the punishment."

Lovetta takes all of this into consideration in silence, trying to process it all. They made it very clear that no sexual activity of any nature, not even questionable activity will happen within a mated pair where one or both of the mates is underage. This was something that she liked. At least she knew that Fenrir wouldn't expect anything sexual of her. She was only fifteen after all and the fact that her 'mate' was six years older than her was bad enough. "So what happens during the mating ceremony?"

"That is a sexual act, which is why it is absolutely forbidden before the age of seventeen. If it is done, then the two mates will be Split, meaning the mate who pushed for it the most will be executed and the other will be demoted to the Omega status." Accalia says all of this calmly, the same smile plastered on her face as before.

"Whoa… So, is it like a wedding?"

"It is much more than that. There is the mating ceremony and the binding ceremony. The mating ceremony is a physical act where the two become one by sharing a night of passion and a bite. The binding ceremony is a more symbolic and spiritual experience. We have one in approximately two and a half weeks, on the night before the next full moon." Accalia sighs slightly, "it is a truly beautiful ceremony and it is every wolf's dream to have a binding ceremony. The mating ceremony is not done until the binding ceremony, traditionally. It is normally on the same night and acts as the consummation of the binding, or the marriage."

"I guess that's sort of cool." Lovetta hugs herself as the wind blows, her hair flowing in the wind behind her. Accalia pulls the scarf off of her own shoulders and puts it around her.

"Being a submissive is nothing to be ashamed of. It is an honor, a great role that you have been chosen for and that you should be proud to play. Your father is one, I am one, and Ryal is one. We will shape the pack in ways that may not be written in the history books but we are there, beside our mates, every step of the way. I am hoping that starting tomorrow, you will be able to see this as the truth that it is. Tonight, you and Fenrir will speak about what you both want from this."

"Oh, one more thing. I apologize to meum feminam alpha but I do not want to forget this detail. There is one more detail of a relationship that I forgot to mention. A dominant has a dominant command. This is basically an override of a submissive. They only use it in moments of extreme emotion or when they feel passionately about something. The command is very hard to break but most of the time, it is for the submissive's own good. I do not think that Fenrir will use this with you in the next week, so long as you do not truly test him." Ryal gives her a genuine smile and puts his hands in his pocket. Lovetta gulps and nods, noting that it was the tone her mother had used when they were at the house the night before they were brought to the village.

"Ah, yes I almost forgot about that. Thank you Ryal. Now, shall we talk to other submissives?" Accalia leads the way to the orchards where they spent the rest of the morning talking to submissive after submissive. They share their stories of how they met their mates, times they disagreed, times they doubted. So many stories that Lovetta can no longer keep them all straight and begins to forget details. Throughout all the stories though, the people seem genuinely happy and carefree. Even in the last house where the submissive was taking care of a crying newborn. He was so apologetic about it and eventually, Lovetta asks to take the child off his hands. The tired man agrees and hands over the infant, smiling slightly when the child quiets slightly. Lovetta stands up and bounces gently, fixing the blanket so it wasn't touching his face or getting in his lips.

"Shh, there little pup. The fur was just tickling you, hm? Getting in your mouth? Yeah, you're okay. I've got you." Lovetta gets lost in the infant's soft features and scrunched nose. He makes a few more noises before quieting down and falling back asleep, not making another sound. She looks up to find three sets of smiling faces looking at her, pride beaming from two of them. Crap, Lovetta thinks, I did something right.

(It is 3:30 am here but I figured I should update at least twice tonight. So I hope you enjoyed! I will try to be more active!)


	10. Chapter 10

The rest of their day passes rather uneventfully. By the end of it all, Lovetta is tired and worn out. They had visited the younger children's day care center and the children had immediately begun bothering Lovetta to play with them. Afterwards, they had eaten dinner with her parents, Fenrir, Amigo, Miaya and Ella where Fenrir had told them the story of how they had been challenged by a bear but escaped. Now, Lovetta had bathed and was changing into her sleep clothes, dreading the next morning. As Ella brushes out Lovetta's damp hair, a knock at the door causes her to look up.

"We have one discussion that needs to be had and Fenrir still has not given you his gift." Accalia gestures for the two young women to pack up and follow her into the sitting room. Ella very quickly pulls Lovetta's hair up and Lovetta straightens her clothes before walking into the sitting room where the alphas, Fenrir, her parents, and Tyler were all waiting. "Fenrir, if you would go first."

Fenrir nods and stands from his seat, walking to the door that was always shut. Lovetta had wondered what was behind it but hadn't dared ask because she figured it was some well-kept pack secret. Without saying a word, Fenrir pulls out a key and unlocks the door, pushing it open. Lovetta, getting the hint that she was supposed to go and look in it, pads over and walks inside to find something she didn't expect. A library.

"Wow…" her jaw practically hits the floor as she looks around until her eyes land on a chair which holds a familiar looking blanket, her baby blanket. She crosses to it and picks it up, looking back at Fenrir who was standing in the doorway. "Is this-?"

"Your baby blanket from home? Yes." Fenrir gives a small, amused smile. "I know that, um, this has not been the easiest thing for you. I haven't made it any easier either… So I went back to your house and I brought some of your things here. This was an old family library. I just... Retouched it." Fenrir scratches the back of his neck, looking more sheepish than he had ever looked in front of Lovetta. "If you don't like the color or whatever, I can paint it another color. I can also get you more plants and stuff if you want. It really doesn't matter. I just... I know you said that you like to read and like plants."

"Thank you" Lovetta cuts his rambling off, genuinely touched by this action. Maybe I misjudged him, Lovetta thinks to herself. The two lock eyes, gold staring into emerald, and they share the first truly genuine smile. "This couldn't have been easy and it... It is perfect. Thank you."

"It's no problem. This is what a mate _should_ do. I realized that I was less than kind when you got here…. Tyler and Denzel helped me realize that. I just," he sighs, at a loss for words and feeling like a complete fool. "I thought that when my mate, you, got back home you would be happy. When you weren't, well that hurt. No, that's not right. It pissed me off. I don't get it. I don't understand how your parents keeping you basically locked away was better than here where you can make real friends and start a family."

Lovetta cocks her head slightly, finally understanding. He wasn't necessarily mad at her but he didn't know how else to respond to being disappointed. "You have to understand, Fenrir. I didn't know about this. I was raised to believe, from reading, that werewolves were beasts and shouldn't be trusted."

"And I was raised that our mates were just supposed to give in and give whatever we want, in the case of alpha mates anyway." Lovetta chuckles a little bit with him.

"I guess we both have a lot to learn, huh?" Fenrir nods in agreement and glances out into the sitting room.

"We should get back to them." Lovetta nods and puts the baby blanket back down, looking around the room with a smile. "This room will remain unlocked from now on. You can come in any time that you want. It is your safe space of sorts, though I may use it from time to time." Lovetta nods and walks past him into the sitting area. She takes a seat on the empty love seat and pulls her knee up to her chest, her heart beating rapidly.

"There's no need to be nervous Parvulus." Accalia says kindly, sitting with her back against Amigo's chest.

"I'm not nervous." Lovetta disagrees, frowning slightly.

Fenrir sits next to her on the love seat and chuckles softly "we can all hear your heartbeat thumping away. Wolf hearing, remember?" Lovetta's cheeks flush slightly and she picks at the fabric on her legs.

"What do we need to discuss?"

"The upcoming week, your week acting as a proper mate should." Amigo says bluntly, not pulling any punches.

"Oh, right. _That_. I have thought about it and I wish to reconsider."

"You can't do that. You shook on it. In our society, that is a binding contract. Almost as serious as an Unbreakable Vow, though you won't die." Accalia gives a sly smirk, her cunning nature shining through. "That is why I had you shake on it as it were."

"But I was unaware. I was uneducated to that fact so why should I be held accountable for actions that I did not know would land me in this predicament?" Lovetta argues with Accalia, not backing down from the woman's dark eyes staring her down.

"It is not our fault that you were not educated by your parents in the ways of the pack. You should have asked for an extension to think about it but instead your pride got in the way and you choose to accept the wager. So, we will begin with Fenrir. What would you like to see from Lovetta in the coming week?" Accalia silences all discussion and Lovetta looks to her parents for help but they simply look down in shame. Lovetta huffs and looks at Fenrir from her corner of the loveseat.

"Relax, Little Mate. It is nothing drastic. All quite simple things really. Firstly, I want you to contribute to the pack, just like every other member. You will split your time every day between the nursery, babysitting for a working parent specifically, or at the orchard or gardens. Those are your three options. I'm only asking that you work at least four hours a day, that is all." Lovetta considers it and nods. She liked having something to do and those activities were activities she enjoyed anyway. Maybe he has been paying attention and actually cares, Lovetta muses silently to herself. "Next, I wish for you to have a day spent with me. It can be any day of your choosing, I am not picky but I want one entire day where it is primarily you and I interacting. Of course, Ella will chaperone for you and Tyler will for me as that is pack policy."

"A day spent… running in the woods? I can barely keep up with you walking." Fenrir chuckles slightly, shaking his head.

"Don't worry, that isn't the kind of day I would be asking for. I know you can't keep up with me just yet, short stack." Lovetta tries to argue but stops short when Fenrir's eyes glisten in a joking manner, not as malicious as before. "No, I mean a day spent having fun together. You and me, and our chaperones of course. I have a few things that I want to show you that you haven't seen yet. The third thing that I want is for you to allow me to serve you food every night and every morning."

"I get to serve your food then." Lovetta counters, "and no massive proportions either. You always try to give me huge amounts of food as if I were three hundred pounds."

"I think that's a fair trade off." Fenrir gives her a small smile and continues, "my last main point is that I want you to kiss me on the cheek every morning when I leave for hunting and every night before we go to bed. Mates are not supposed to kiss but they are permitted to share kisses on the forehead and the cheek."

"No way am I doing that." Lovetta stubbornly argues, crossing her arms. "Not gonna happen, keep dreaming."

"Why not?" Accalia calmly asks her, "it is nothing of a sexual nature, no more than family members would do to each other to show they care in times of need."

"Yeah but, I mean... "Lovetta can't come up with a reason why not. "I don't want to."

"Well that is a wonderful reasoning why not." Accalia rolls her eyes and sighs, "you'll do it. In exchange you get one thing to ask of Fenrir."

"Wait, really?" Lovetta looks between Accalia and her son who nod in agreement with her mother. She sits back and ponders what she should ask for. "This isn't really something to ask of him but… I want lunch by myself every day in the library. Before you argue, you said that it was my safe space to go."

Fenrir sits forward, resting his elbows on his knees and thinks, looking at the floor. After a moment he sits back and meets her, "very well. But Ella sits out here. That way you are technically alone but are still being watched like you should be."

"Fine. Is that it?"

"Oh, and I get to pick out what you wear every morning." Fenrir smirks slightly, the teasing glint in his eyes.

Lovetta huffs and rolls her eyes, "you can suggest and I will pick from two outfits."

"That works for me. Other than that, I have nothing." He extends his hand to her. "Do we have a deal?" Lovetta takes a deep breath and puts her much smaller hand in his, shaking it to confirm. She can feel how rough the calluses on his hands were in comparison to her hands which were not only smaller in size but much softer than his were. "Well, Little Mate, you should get to bed now. You have a full day tomorrow. Your first day acting as a real member of the pack."


	11. Chapter 11

"Good morning Little Mate! Rise and shine!" Fenrir throws open the bathroom door, having just finished his shower for the morning. Ella knocks softly and enters, bowing her head to each of them before crossing to Lovetta's wardrobe and opening the doors. Fenrir smirks as Lovetta sits up groggily and he crosses over to the wardrobe, sorting through the options. He picks out a dark red dress and a long sleeve shirt with a pair of leggings and Ella carries them over to Lovetta, laying them on her bed. "Are you ready for your first day working?" He grabs his own clothes and pulls on the pants before dropping the towel from around his waist. He runs it through his damp hair and shakes it out.

"It isn't the work I have an issue with." Lovetta stands up and goes to the bathroom, brushing her teeth. Ella makes up the bed while Lovetta brushes her teeth and washes her face. After Lovetta is done, Ella runs a brush gently through her fine hair and pulls it back into a loose braid.

"Where will you work today?" Fenrir asks. It seemed that since their discussion last night, he had decided to be slightly nicer to her. Maybe he thought that would prove their point. Well, they were dead wrong. He could try to woo her with a library-slash-study room but it wouldn't work. She still didn't feel anything for him other than the occasional annoyance.

"I thought that I would go and see the children today." Lovetta looks at the options for clothes and frowns. "What is your obsession with red?"

"It is the color of blood which is very important in our society. Plus, it looks good against your skin." Fenrir shrugs and pulls on a dark colored shirt.

"Don't you own any brighter colors? You always seem to wear dark colors." Lovetta walks to the bathroom with the dress and strips before pulling it on.

"Bright colors don't work well when you're in the woods hunting. You'll understand that someday." Lovetta exits the bathroom and frowns at his statement.

"I'm not going to be a wolf if that's what you're hinting at." Ella gently zips up the dress and tries to hide her amusement. "I'm not kidding Ella; I won't become a wolf."

Fenrir grins, his canines shining brightly in the sunlight from the window. "That's what they all say. In fact, if the stories are true that's what your father said. Then his very first moon hit and he loved it since then." Lovetta slips into her simple shoes and checks herself in the mirror. "Ready to go then?" She nods and heads out the door with him, looping their arms together as was the custom.

"What's going to happen to me on the full moon? Won't I be attacked since I'm not a wolf when you guys lose control?"

"We don't lose control. We simply become our true selves. You'll be locked in a room, more than likely our bedroom, and be under the protection of an alpha order from myself and my father combined, nearly impossible to break. You'll be safe. Don't worry." Lovetta somehow finds comfort in his words and keeps on walking beside him. They walk into the front dining room where Fenrir's parents sat, patiently waiting for them. The pairing takes their seats and the food is brought out from the side. Once the cover is off, Fenrir starts to serve Lovetta the usual huge servings of meat.

"What did I say last night? No huge servings!" Fenrir rolls his eyes and puts half of it back, getting her some fruit. "Thank you. Now what do you want?" Fenrir gives her a slightly puzzled look but points out what he wants. She supposed he was puzzled because they'd been eating together for a little over a week but she didn't know what he wanted like he knew what she wanted immediately.

"So how is it going for you two so far?" Accalia asks, getting her own food as she had now served Amigo. "Is it as miserable as you thought that it was going to be Lovetta?"

"Not yet but I'm just waiting for that to change." Lovetta takes a bite of her food so she doesn't have to talk anymore.

"Now, now. You promised to be more open minded. Let's not go ruining this so soon." Lovetta tries not to scowl at the woman and instead looks down at her food, poking at it before taking another bite.

"Lovetta was saying how she's nervous about the full moon and what is going to happen to her during it." Fenrir says, taking a large bite of his meat. "What are our plans, Father?"

"Well it would be easier if she would simply allow herself to be turned but that does not appear to be in the cards. So, she will be placed in your bedroom and locked in. You and I will give an alpha order that she is not to be touched before the pack goes into the woods for the Run." Amigo answers very calmly.

"What is the Run?" Lovetta asks for clarification.

"The Run is what the Pack does every full moon. We all gather in the woods and when it comes time and the moon rises, we all take a run as a pack through the woods. Some of the younger pups like to wrestle and play. We also use it as a time to get the newer wolves acquainted with their new form." Accalia clarifies with a smile, "it is one of the most fun times a wolf has every month."

"So… you don't go out and hunt people?" The three wolves look at her as if she sprouted another head. "I just mean, that's what I've heard that you all do."

"No, we don't hunt people. When are you going to learn that we don't hurt people?" Amigo questions the younger girl, his brow furrowed slightly as he shakes his head.

"Even when we should hurt them because they're hurting us." Fenrir mumbles to himself, earning a disapproving growl from his father. The young man falls silent and finishes his meal. Lovetta finishes up her meal and stands up with him, "well I'm going to go and patrol today. Lovetta, I'll walk you to the nursery. Have a good day." Lovetta waves a small goodbye and follows Fenrir out of the room.

"What did you mean by 'they're hurting us'?" Lovetta asks once they're out of ear shot. Fenrir huffs slightly but decides to answer.

"There are certain people from the Ministry of Magic who don't like werewolves. Particularly our practices. Some more extreme members of this group hunt us as if we were real wild animals, as if we were a danger to their precious society."

"Is that what your meeting yesterday was about?" Fenrir's head snaps over to her. "Ella said that you had a meeting with someone from the Ministry but didn't say what it was about."

"That girl is going to get in trouble if she keeps telling you every detail." Fenrir murmurs mostly to himself, running a hand through his hair. "They found your home. Apparently they came to check up on your studies. They knew about your parents' connection with us and came here to question. So, yes partially. They wanted to know that you came willingly."

"But, we didn't technically." Fenrir pauses at the door and grabs a jacket off of the coat rack, handing it to her.

"Your parents did and since we fixed up your house, they have no other reason to question it." Fenrir shrugs, "now put that jacket on. You'll get cold walking to the nursery." Lovetta slips her arms into it and pulls her braid out from it.

"So since my parents were only fighting for me not to come, it's fine in their eyes? That's messed up." Lovetta walks through the door and into the early morning air.

"Not really. Your parents are your guardians. If they were okay with coming, why would you not be? Besides, the man looked like he was about to shit himself in fear of us." Fenrir grins wolfishly, his canines showing more prominently. Lovetta gets a chill down her spin. Sometimes she could forget just how strong Fenrir really was and how he could probably kill a man with very little effort.

"In his defense, he does have a reason to be afraid. You are very strong compared to the average person. Even a Ministry wizard would probably have difficulty fighting you." The potential betas all walk up and bow their heads in respect, falling behind. They seemed to be more subdued but, judging by some of their disheveled appearance, Lovetta would guess they were slightly hung over. She knew that Daniell and Jacob liked to heavily drink. Tyler and Denzel not so much but they would still participate.

"Oh, so you think that I'm strong, Little Mate?" Fenrir's grin turns from wolfish to teasing. Lovetta rolls her eyes and puts her hands in her pockets.

"Don't get all cocky. I didn't say that you were strong, I meant it as a general comment."

"Actually, Lovetta, your exact words were "you are very strong" so, your kind of did compliment Fenrir directly" Tyler jumps in. Lovetta's face flushes slightly and she turns to him.

"Well, you were my favorite." The gang gives a little bit of a chuckle over that but don't say anymore as they arrive at the nursery. "I guess I'll see you at lunch then. Have fun?" Lovetta goes to enter but Fenrir grabs her wrist gently.

"Are you forgetting something about our agreement?" Fenrir smirks slightly, "you owe me a kiss." Lovetta glances at the betas who were all smirking and gulps. Gathering all the courage she can, she goes up on her tiptoes and tries to reach his cheek. After failing a few times, Fenrir decides to tease her. "Come on, Little Mate. I'm waiting."

"I… I can't reach."

"What was that?"

Lovetta huffs in frustration, "you know well enough that I am shorter than you are by quite a bit. I can't reach. Can you please reach down so I can, since you insist on this?" Fenrir bends down a little bit and she very quickly pecks his cheek, barely allowing her lips to touch his skin. Smiling, Fenrir places a kiss on her forehead. As soon as his lips touch her skin, a shiver goes down her spine.

"See you at lunch." Murmuring a very quick goodbye, Lovetta scrambles inside the nursery. The matron greets her with two children on her hips and points her toward where the slightly older children were eating their breakfast. Lovetta washes her hands in a sink and joins them, trying not to think about Fenrir's lips on her skin.

The morning passes with Lovetta enjoying her time taking care of the kids. Most of them were born there but a few had recently joined. They ranged in age from six months all the way up to four years. The pack began educating them around four years old so they were rare, only two or three of them. The nursery had a revolving roster of people who would come and help, to include the mates of Denzel and Jacob. Denzel's mate was named Willow. Willow was much like him and, through rumors, Lovetta knew that she and Denzel did not have dominant or submissive roles attached in their pairing. Jacob's mate was a woman named Carly. She was slightly tall, standing at 5'9. She was rather slim but, much like most of the pack, still had a good muscular tone to her build. It wasn't over bearing like her mate's but you knew that she could hold her own in a physical fight. The three women chat and play with the children until Fenrir, Jacob, and Denzel walk in to get them for lunch. It was slightly funny to see Fenrir and Jacob with the children as they towered over most of the pack. Denzel was still tall but not nearly as tall as Fenrir or Jacob.

The three and four year olds bow their head before approaching but the younger ones, not knowing any better, toddle right up to the men. Fenrir lets out a small growl and the children naturally bow their heads in submission. Lovetta walks over, bouncing a year old in her arms and frowns, questioning if that was really necessary. Before Fenrir can answer though, a three-year-old named Evan answers.

"It is, Miss! They need to learn!" Evan says, hanging off of Jacob's leg. Jacob looked highly uncomfortable with the whole thing and is saved by Carly who plucks the young boy off.

"Evan is exactly right. They need to learn now to save themselves punishment later in life." Fenrir gives the boy an approving nod before Evan runs off to play with his friends. Carly hugs and shares a kiss with Jacob and they excuse themselves. Willow walks over and bows her head to Fenrir before hugging Denzel.

"Are you ready to go my love?" Denzel nods and asks Fenrir if he needs anything from him. When he gets a negative answer, the couple exit.

"Are you ready? You still have a little pup in your arms."

"I just need to put him down, don't worry. It'll take a minute. There's no need to be so impatient." Lovetta, trailed by a few more children, walks over to a crib and lays the child down. "Goodbye little one. I'll see you after lunch." The young child looks up at her with wide brown eyes. Lovetta can't help but smile before she straightens up and walks back over to Fenrir. "There, I'm ready now." A few of the kids protest her leaving, pulling at her skirt as she pulls on her jacket. "Don't worry, I'll be back after lunch." She blows them kisses and walks out the door, waving goodbye to the matron. Fenrir says goodbye to the children as well before following.

"They seem to like you."

"I like them too." The couple falls in step with each other and walks back up to the house.

"I really am glad. Because someday, we will have pups of our own."


	12. Chapter 12

The rest of the week passes much the same as the first day did. Fenrir and Lovetta fall into a routine and eventually Lovetta come to understand more deeply about the pack and the reasoning for all of the rules. Finally, the last day of the week ends as the sun begins to set. She, along with the alphas, betas, and her parents, sit at a relaxing dinner in the center of the camp. Most of the pack is inside their own homes, working on personal projects or just relaxing with their family. Fenrir chats away with his parents and Miaya while Lovetta chats with Ella. Lovetta had spent the day relaxing in the springs with Fenrir, Ella, and Tyler. The four had a lovely time exploring the springs and chatting.

When they had first entered Lovetta had been surprised by how large the springs were. They were large enough to house the entire pack comfortably. They were also extremely beautiful to top it all off. The men had immediately stripped to their boxers and dove in while Ella and Lovetta walked to a side area and changed into swimwear. At first Lovetta had been shy about it but eventually she became braver with the help of Ella's kind words. Ella had also reminded her that she didn't care what Fenrir or Tyler thought of her as she wasn't trying to attract either one of them. After a few moments of slight awkwardness, the small group had fallen easily into laughing and joking. In the springs, it had been easy for Lovetta to forget that she was supposed to work on not liking Fenrir and the pack's way of life.

This attitude had carried them all the way to where they were now at dinner. For Adolpha, it was nice to see her daughter genuinely smile and chat with someone her own age. She didn't like the circumstances, but she was glad that Lovetta was able to begin to understand the love her parents had for their pack. Throughout the week, she'd also begun to notice a change in Fenrir and his attitude. He was more understanding and patient with Lovetta, and it made Adolpha more reassured of their pairing.

"Excuse me, Alphas and Betas." One of the guards, a relatively young wolf named Cassius, approaches and bows. Immediately the entire table falls into silence, all curious as to the reason he was interrupting. "There's a man at the gate who wishes to see Adolpha, Peter, and Lovetta. Should I let him in?"

"Who is this man?" Amigo questions, putting his fork down.

"He says his name is Remus Lupin, he says he's a member of the pack, but I don't recognize him at all."

"Uncle Remus is here?" Lovetta loudly questions, her eyes lighting up. Amigo barely spares her a glance, but she immediately feels bad and quiets down, "sorry…"

"He is a member of this pack by bite only. Escort him over to us." Cassius bows his head and jogs away, returning a moment later with a young Remus Lupin. Lovetta knew him as her uncle Remus as that is what her parents called him. He was only a few years older than Lovetta at nineteen years old. She only saw him about three times a year, but he was a lot of fun to be around. As soon as Remus spots her, he visibly relaxes and gives her a small smile. Cassius bows his head and stands off to the side. Remus approaches and bows his head, somewhat reluctantly, to the Alphas then the Betas in turn. "You have finally decided to return to us, hmm boy?"

"Only for a visit. I need to speak-"

"Yes, I know. With Lovetta and her parents. You may speak to them. In front of us." Remus grinds his teeth but nods, walking over to Lovetta. Lovetta jumps up and hugs him, grinning from ear to ear.

"Hey there kiddo. You've gotten taller since I last saw you."

"You have to stop calling me kiddo! You're only four years older than me!" Lovetta argues, playfully pushing him. It was so good to see someone from the outside world. "What are you doing here? How did you find us?"

"Well, I went by your house and found the place was not how you all normally leave it. For one, your garden is almost overrun with gnomes and weeds. I know you garden almost every night so that was different. Then I went inside without using a spell, which I shouldn't have been able to do since I'm not a blood relative of yours. The inside was completely different, and some key things were missing. So, I figured that you all were here." Remus gives a side hug to Adolpha and shakes Peter's hand. He pointedly ignores Fenrir which raises a question in Lovetta's mind.

"So… You're a wolf too?"

Remus nods grimly and gives a small glance to Fenrir. "Yes, I am unfortunately. That's how your parents and I met. They made me promise that I wouldn't' tell you until they told you."

"Well… Now you can tell me." Lovetta tries to joke awkwardly. "I'm glad to see you again, really. You've been away a while."

"I know. A lot has happened in the past year. Do you remember me telling you about my best mate James Potter?" Lovetta nods, she'd heard all the stories about him and his three best mates from school. "Well, he and Lily Evans are getting married soon."

"They are? Oh, that's wonderful!" Lovetta was a sucker for weddings and happy endings. Most of the fiction books that she indulged in had some sort of romance aspect to them.

"It is. I'm going to be one of the groomsmen, though Sirius reserves the right to be the best man of course." Remus chuckles fondly and rolls his eyes.

"How is it being a lone wolf out there in the world, Remus? Tell us all about that." Fenrir smirks and takes a bite of meat, watching the wolf before him, if you could even call him that. Lovetta frowns at the rudeness of his question and invites Remus to sit down. Remus gladly accepts the seat and gives her a small smile as she pours him his own glass of water.

"It's fine. I'm not alone. I have my friends. I actually live with a few mates of mine from Hogwarts." Remus sips on the water before setting it down. "I know you don't agree with my choices, Fenrir. But I don't mind the challenges of living in the Wizarding World without the pack."

Fenrir smirks and stares at the younger wolf, "until you come crawling back to us, begging for help." Remus's jaw tightens but he chooses not to respond, instead turning his attention on Lovetta.

"Lovetta, be honest. Do you want to stay here? I can get you out." Fenrir growls and slaps his hand on the table, causing Lovetta to jump slightly.

"Like hell you can!" Remus calmly looks at Fenrir and blinks, staring the alpha down. Since he'd been away from the pack for so long, Fenrir's natural alpha state had a lesser effect on Remus than it did other wolves who were members of the pack.

"I don't know how I like it; I don't know if I want to stay here permanently. My parents are here and for now, I want to stay with them." Lovetta tries to diffuse the situation, not giving either side what they truly want. Remus nods and plays his hand over hers, giving her fingers a gentle squeeze.

"The out is here if you ever need it, even if it is just to get away for a little while. I'm here for you Little Etta." Lovetta can't help but chuckle at the old nickname he had for her.

Fenrir growls loudly, standing up at this point. Ella and the other submissives at the table put their heads down at this. "Get your filthy hand off my mate, traitor." Remus calmly looks up but even he can't hold the gaze for that long and pulls his hand away from her after a few tense seconds.

"Fenrir! What the heck?" Lovetta questions him, angry at him for yelling at her friend and calling him filthy. "You have no right to talk to him like that."

Fenrir turns his gaze to her and softens slightly. He did feel bad, but he didn't like Remus touching her. It was clear that Remus had known her and her family for a while. He didn't like how close they were. Remus even had his own special nickname for her! "I do have the right. I'm his alpha to be. I can talk to him anyway I want. Especially since he's a pack traitor."

"A what?"

"He means that I left the pack instead of coming to live here full time. I chose to have a life outside of being a werewolf." Remus answers before Fenrir can, taking the words right from his mouth.

"Exactly. He chose to go to Hogwarts and live amongst those who despise us rather than stay and live as a member of our pack, like he should. Regardless of this, we still welcome him back every time he has come for a visit. And to think, I thought that you would leave your father after I bit you." Lovetta's eyes widen at this and she looks between the two men. She knew that Fenrir was only a few years older than Remus, but she didn't know when Remus had been bitten.

"Wait, _you_ bit Remus?"

"Yes, I did. I was eight years old I think. I'd just been to my first meeting with the Ministry idiots. His father had insulted our way of life. So, I chose to get my revenge." Fenrir grins, his canines catching the dimming sunlight. The image sends shivers down Lovetta's spin and she unconsciously scoots away from him. "So, I went to where his family lived on the night of a full moon. I bit Remus. Truthfully, I was going for his father but" Fenrir shrugs, "the point was proven."

"You bit him when he was six years old just because his father insulted you?" Lovetta asks for clarification. "How childish can you be?" Everyone looks at her, shock written on everyone's faces.

"If you recall, oh _dear mate,_" Fenrir's words drip with sarcasm "I was only eight years old myself. I was a child. I would never do that now. I'd get his father for sure. No risk of the kid getting bitten." Lovetta blanches at his words, unable to believe him. He'd been so sweet all day and then to see this side, she couldn't help but think that she was right in her old way of thinking. "Relax, I wouldn't ever do that now at all. I told you, we don't hunt anyone. That includes when they are closed minded and decide to insult us."

Remus looks at the table and sighs, "I've told you before. I don't stand by what my father said. Do I think that being a wolf is a good thing? No. But out there I've found three best mates who have helped me through everything for the past eight years. Not all wizards think the same."

"No, it's just the large majority of them."

"My son is right." Everyone's attention shifts to Amigo. "They teach their children how horrible we are from young ages and those who don't grow up in wizard families get taught it as soon as they are brought to their schools. They don't typically welcome our kind; you were a lucky case thanks to Albus Dumbledore. If it wasn't for him you know that you would not have been welcomed into the school."

"I know but that's-"

"It must change. This has been my mission. That is why I called that meeting with your father all those years ago. Now, I don't stand by my son's actions, but he did get a message across to your father that he sourly needed to learn." Rems balls up his fists but says no more. Lovetta frowns and places her hand on his shoulder, giving him a small smile.

"Can I go for a walk with Remus? Or is that not allowed?" Lovetta asks after a moment, standing up. "Ella can come with us so I'm not alone."

"I would prefer if I came with you." Fenrir says, staying standing and staring down his young mate.

"And I would prefer if you didn't. Tyler can even come with us and Ella if that makes you happy." Fenrir's jaw tenses but he nods and sits back down in his seat. Tyler and Ella both stand up and say their goodbyes. Lovetta hugs her mom and bows her head to the alphas and the betas. She turns to walk away until Fenrir gently grabs her wrist.

"Forgetting something?" Lovetta internally groans but bends down and places a kiss on his cheek. Quickly and before anyone can say anything, she grabs Remus' arm and starts walking. Ella and Tyler walk close enough to see them but not close enough to invade their space.

"So, your parents were right. You're his mate." Lovetta nods and crosses her arms. "What are your thoughts on it?"

"I think… I think I don't know what to think at this point. About anything. It's been a lot and I've only been here two weeks. I mean, I can't possibly have enough information to make a judgement, but it feels like I should. Tonight, Accalia is expecting me to drink veritaserum and tell them what I've thought about the past week."

"Wait, what?" Remus stares at her like she's crazy.

"I made a wager with her that I would play along with this whole 'mate' and 'wolf' thing for a week. Then on the last day I would take veritaserum and prove nothing has changed about my thoughts. That's the thing though, something has. Fenrir isn't who I thought he was. Not all the time." Lovetta sighs heavily and looks around her. "I enjoy my time with the kids and in the orchards and gardens. I like when it's just Fenrir, Ella, Tyler, and myself and we can act like regular kids. I don't like how he's six years older than me though. That part is still kinda weirding me out." Remus lets her continue talking, knowing that this is the first time she's been able to say everything out loud. "But then, what happens if I try to leave? He and his friends snatch me up like they did before. I have no real choice here and they're all acting like I have a choice. But I don't, not really." Lovetta glances over at Remus and smiles bashfully. "I'm sorry, I'm rambling on and on when I haven't seen you in three months."

Remus chuckles a little bit and shrugs, "I've really got nothing to share. I've been living with my mates and doing odd jobs here and there. Nothing exciting really."

"Nothing at all? Not even with the war against… you know?" Lovetta practically whispers the last part. Her parents didn't like her talking about the war against Voldemort. They said that she didn't need to worry about it, that it wasn't their war to fight.

"You know your parents don't like me telling you about that stuff."

"I know but I also don't really care that much. Please Remus? I need to know."

Remus sighs and runs a hand through his sandy blonde hair, "alright. Fine. It goes, very slowly. Every time we seem to be winning, more people disappear and then reappear about two weeks later. A lot of people are really scared. They don't really know what to do at this point."

"And… the Order?" Lovetta whispers the question, knowing he wasn't really supposed to talk about that kind of stuff.

"They're doing alright, most of them are-"

"Excuse me? I don't mean to interrupt but the sun is going down and it's time for Lovetta to go back." Tyler very calmly interrupts them. Lovetta frowns and sighs, knowing not to argue. The two turn on their heels and start to head back to the house.

"Hey," Remus gently stops her as they get to the bottom of the steps. "Don't try to fight the veritaserum. Trust me, it doesn't feel good when you do." Lovetta gives him a small smile and heads up into the house, her heart pounding loudly.


	13. Chapter 13

(A/N: Shout out to Lovely Critic for your review! Every review/message I get is a chance to improve a story I'm working on. Every follow and favorite mean the absolute world to me and pushes me to keep writing so thank you for all of those. 3 Hoping to keep this story going, especially since I'm trapped at home now and have more time.)

"What's your full name?" Accalia asks after checking to make sure that Lovetta had downed the entire vial of potion. Accalia, Amigo, Fenrir, and Adolpha were all waiting patiently. While the original wager said it was only going to be Accalia and Adolpha there, Lovetta knew that Fenrir was going to be listening at the door anyway and had decided to let him and his father in.

"Lovetta Josephina Molow" her full name rolls off of her tongue easily. She doesn't try to fight the potion, heeding Remus's warning not to. What little she knew about the potion suggested that she not fight. Some testimonies she had read had said that it would cause slight pain, others mild irritation. The worst she had seen was a man was driven to near madness from trying to fight the potion.

"Very good. This potion will be in effect for another twenty minutes while we ask you questions about the past week. The first question is an easy one to answer. Did you enjoy your week playing a proper role in our pack?"

"I did."

"What did it feel like?"

"It was different from what I am used to and different from how I saw my future, but it was not unwelcome. Especially working with the children and the plants. It took a few days getting used to but after that I enjoyed it quite a lot, especially the parts when Fenrir kissed me on the forehead." Lovetta's eyes widen as she admits the last part and her face flushes red. Fenrir smirks a little bit but Lovetta can see a smile in his eyes. Accalia smirks a little bit and nods to Amigo to ask a question.

"The next question, what have you learned from all of this?"

"I have learned that what I read in books is not true. Werewolves are not dangerous, unstable creatures but also a complex society filled with many different types of people who work together for a common goal. The pack is filled with love and while there are small disputes and the occasional case of rough housing among members, there is no reason to fear them so long as you respect them and their way of life."

"Could you see yourself continuing to be a member of the pack?" Amigo asks calmly, staring the younger girl down.

"I could, yes. I'm unsure about being the mate of Fenrir, though I do think that he is handsome in a rugged sort of way and is wonderful with children most of the time, I can see myself living among the pack. I am still unsure about ever willingly becoming a wolf though. The bite scares me and the fact that I would have the strength to hurt someone else."

"That is fair enough. It seems that you have learned your lesson about our way of life. Now, about mates. Fenrir?" Lovetta turns slightly to look at Fenrir who was sitting in his own chair.

"You have been taught all about mates since you arrived and since you learned why you were brought here. Did you find any pleasure like we said you would, living truly as my mate?"

"Yes" Lovetta finds herself admitting, flushing slightly from having to admit this. "There were somethings I didn't like, like you are bossing the kids around, and it was still awkward sometimes but overall, yes. I think that I need to figure out what my idea of being an alpha female is in the pack because I haven't really explored that yet."

"Do you think that you and I could have a future together?"

"Yes. Even though I don't necessarily like the age difference between us, I see that you respect the laws and customs, even if you are sometimes a jerk about pushing the limits but I think there's another reason for that."

"And what do you think that reason is?" Fenrir asks, genuinely curious.

"I think that you feel like you have to be tough all the time, like you have to prove to everyone that you're meant to be alpha. I don't know why that is yet because your parents don't have any other kids, so it isn't like you're competing or anything but that's my thinking." Fenrir doesn't react except for his ears turning slightly red at the tips.

"I think that is enough questioning for today. We'll let the potion wear off now," Amigo cuts the questioning short.

Accalia sits up slightly more, commanding the attention of the room. "It sounds to me like I was right, and my wager paid off. Do you know what this means Lovetta?"

"It means that I must give myself over to you, full time and live as a member of the pack for the rest of my time here." Accalia nods and smiles proudly, taking Amigo's hand.

"This means that you will start learning what it means to be an alpha female. You and Fenrir have at least a year and a half before you can go through the mating process and Fenrir will not technically be alpha before then, lest anything bad happen to Amigo. However, this does not mean that we can not start preparing for the occasion and that you can not start learning more and more." Accalia stands up, "we'll start your lesson in the morning. Nothing serious. Just simple things. Now I am going to bed. I'm quite tired. I hope that you all have a good rest of your night." Amigo and Accalia walk out, hand in hand and both smiling quite happily.

"Is the potion still in place?" Adolpha asks her daughter, "try and lie." Lovetta nods and tries to force herself to lie, finding that she is unable to. She gives a slight smile and sits back, twiddling her thumbs. "Then may I ask a question?"

"I'm nervous to hear what you have to say but go ahead."

"Are you still mad at your father and I?"

"Yes. I'm mad that you didn't tell me, that you didn't trust me not to love you even though you were wolves. I'm mad that you lied to me - even if most were lies of omission- for years. I'm mad that you drugged me. I may understand but I'm still mad." Adolpha's face shows her hurt quite plainly but she nods and doesn't say anything else. "I'm sorry I'm still mad. I thought by now I would be over it." Adolpha smiles tightly and stands up, dismissing herself. Lovetta can't help but feel bad but knew that she was telling the truth. It was true, she hated that she was still mad at her mother, but she couldn't help it. Something like that doesn't just change in a day.

"Then there were two. Want some tea?"

"Not really but if you make some, I'll drink some politely." Lovetta's face flushes as Fenrir chuckles at her, walking to their little kitchen off to the side. She shifts her body and picks up a pillow. Fenrir clinks away in the kitchen, filling the teapot from the sink and placing it on the stove to boil.

"I have one last question for you. What do you miss most about your other home?"

"Magic" Lovetta's answer doesn't surprise her in the least. Whenever she was able to study magic, it was like she understood more about herself. Plus, she could read and garden, as well as so much more, while at the pack. But Fenrir still hadn't given her back her wand. She knew he had it, but it was in his bedside drawer.

"Well, once you prove that you can follow our pack and learn some more stuff, then you can have it back. I'm keeping it safe for you, don't worry." Fenrir gets two teacups and prepares the tea. "I know that we haven't really had a chance to… bond or whatever but, like my mom said, we have time before we are allowed to do anything." Lovetta can slowly feel the magic of the potion wearing off and felt herself returning to normal. Fenrir carries the tea over and sets it down, "I already put your sugar and cream in it how you like."

Lovetta takes the cup and gives him a grateful smile, sipping on it, "you really do pay attention to me don't you?"

"Of course, I do. Like I've said before, you're my mate and a member of the pack. It's part of my job to get to know you." Fenrir sips from his cup and shrugs a little bit, as if this was nothing.

"What is your job as the alpha? I mean, obviously to be a disciplinarian but other than that, what do you actually do?" Lovetta hoped that didn't sound as rude as he could take it.

"Well, my job is simple. I'm the head of the pack, the leader."

"But what about the Council or whatever?"

"They help, sure, but ultimately it falls to me to make the best decision for the pack. Like, when my dad decided to move us here to these woods right before I was born. It was risky but necessary." Fenrir sits back and drinks his tea, "we were being hunted. In some ways it was worse back then. It's pretty bad now and getting worse because of the Dark Lord rising up and everything. In some ways that works for us though, cause they're busier hunting him than they are us. There are some who think that we're going to side with him, but Dad won't allow it to even be considered, says we're better off on our own still."

"You sound like you want to join him" Lovetta observes with a frown.

"Think about it, we've been hunted since we were discovered. Pushed to the edges of society. People like Remus are barely allowed to work in places once their status is discovered. Sure, he has some radical ideas and I could honestly care less about the muggles or people's blood. I just want to do what is best for my pack. My father sees this as joining neither side because he thinks no matter which way we go, when it all ends, we'll have lost anyway." Fenrir rolls his eyes and stands up, "I'm going to head to bed." Lovetta wishes him goodnight but stays on the couch, sipping on her tea and staring out the window into the night.


	14. Chapter 14

"Well, I will see you as soon as I can, Etta." Remus hugs the young girl tightly, not wanting to leave her but having no real choice. Lovetta buries her face in his chest and hugs tightly, squeezing him.

"You know you can stay, just a few more days," Lovetta looks up at him, wanting and wishing him to stay. Remus gives her a tight smile and puts his hands in his pocket.

"I can't do that. I've got to go and help the Order. Besides, it's almost the full moon and I can't be around you during that."

"You could if you would just give in and be a member of our pack." Fenrir says offhandedly, standing a few feet back from Lovetta and him. Remus's lips twitch but he decides not to speak, instead turning to say goodbye to Adolpha and Peter. Lovetta shoots Fenrir a disapproving look but doesn't say anything more. They had just eaten breakfast when Remus had announced that he should be leaving. Lovetta had tried to convince him to stay but to no avail, he wasn't being swayed no matter what she said.

"Well, I will see you next time." Remus gives Lovetta one last hug before turning to Fenrir. "I say this with no disrespect for you but if you hurt her, I assure you that I will show you just how dangerous a wizard can be. I know she's your 'mate' or whatever but if I hear that you've hurt her or changed her without her asking you to, so help me there will be no place for you to hide."

For the first time since knowing him, Lovetta can see a fire in his eyes like never before. She knew that he meant every word that he said. And surprisingly, Fenrir simply nods and gives his word, holding out his hand to Remus. The two share polite words of leaving before Remus starts down the trail out, heading out of the pack's domain. Lovetta watches him leave with a feeling of loneliness. It was like him being here had reminded her that there was a world outside, a way to live differently from what she was surrounded by on a regular basis.

"Where are you going to work today?" Fenrir asks her, walking back into the house after Remus's shape had disappeared into the woods.

"Your mom and I were going to talk about the alpha female role, but I don't know when she wanted to start." The two enter the house and head back to the breakfast area. Accalia was there, reading over a piece of parchment. Her brow is furrowed and Lovetta can see that she is clearly distressed over the contents.

"Mother? Is everything alright?" Accalia puts the piece of parchment on the table, folding it over so no one could see it. She gives her son a tight smile and stands up, placing her napkin on the table.

"Yes dear, it will be anyway. Are you ready Lovetta? We should begin right away with our discussion about the role of the alpha female." Lovetta says she is and Accalia leaves the room, tucking the parchment into her waist band.

"Have fun today, or at least try to." Fenrir places a short kiss on Lovetta's head before walking out the door, leaving Lovetta to scurry after Accalia. She catches up to her on the front porch and gives a sheepish smile. Accalia barely lets her catch her breath before walking down the steps, her hands crossed behind her back. It was moments like this where Lovetta could see how old Accalia was. The early morning sun catches the grey hairs in Accalia's long dark hair. Despite her clear older age, it was clear to Lovetta that Accalia was as strong as she had ever been and still carried herself as if she was not someone to be messed with.

"The role of the alpha male is very distinct. They are the head of the pack, just as a father is the head of his household. He may be the head in public, but it is truly their partner who holds the power. Now the alpha is not always a male, but we use alpha male when it is a male who is the head alpha. It is rare that a head alpha is female, but it has happened once or twice in our pack's history. Now, the alpha female is the wife of the alpha male. They are the mother of his children; they are the leaders of the pack in a domestic sense. Her job is to advise the alpha male and handle most day to day operations. She sits on the council and advises in matters of agriculture, education, and many other important aspects of pack issues. Most of the time the alpha male will deal with the dominant of a pairing when they are in trouble while the alpha female will deal with the submissive. The reasoning for this is that the alpha female is more approachable than the alpha male most of the time. This is the case, but you must be firm but fair; strict but gentle. Does that make sense?"

Accalia pauses and turns to look back at Lovetta who was trying to take in all of this information. "I think so?"

Accalia's lips purse at this response and she turns on her heel, continuing to walk. "Your job as soon to be alpha female is to observe the pack and to learn. Soon you will be given more responsibilities and handle small disputes; of course, I will make the real decisions, but you may advise on what you believe is fair. Now, I will give you a scenario that could happen and I want you to come up with a solution. Understood?"

"Yes, I think so. I just have some que-"

"A prophecy has been made of who a mate is of, let us say the future beta of the pack. It is a younger wolf than the future beta. The parents of the mate overhear and don't like it. They are forbidden by their alphas from leaving but do it, anyway, taking the mate away for years. What should be their punishment when they return?" Accalia once again halts and turns on Lovetta, her dark eyes staring her down. Lovetta shifts her weight from foot to foot, knowing that she was really talking about Lovetta and her parents.

"I think that the parents should be given a talking to, but they shouldn't be punished. They were only doing what they thought would be best for their child." Lovetta bites her lip slightly, "I think?"

"Well you would then be wrong. By leaving and breaking the order they were given, they undermine their alpha's power. They disrupt pack life. They make the child suffer and cry, believing he is not good enough for anyone. By leaving, they disrupt the trust of the pack in their alpha and cause mayhem. They ruin their chances at being beta and ruin the young wolf pup!" Accalia's voice subtly rises until several people are watching them, curious as to what was happening. Lovetta shrinks slightly before Accalia, never having seen this side of her. She looked truly angry. "Do not shrink before anyone! You are the future of our pack!" Accalia grabs Lovetta by the shoulders and straightens her, causing Lovetta to wince in pain as her body is forced to do something it did not want to do.

"Ow! You're hurting me Accalia!"

"If it were up to me you would have been punished alongside your parents and you would not be the mate to my son but unfortunately the moon has seen fit to curse my family with a stupid, ungrateful, weak mate for my son!" Lovetta can feel droplets of spit on her face from Accalia yelling at her and tears come to her eyes. Clenching her fists, she refuses to let them fall and stares straight at the woman.

"I'm not weak." Accalia straightens up in and laughs, throwing her head back.

"You are one of the weakest _witches_ I have ever seen, if I can even call you that."

"I'm not weak!" Lovetta insists, her nails digging into her skin as she clenches her fists.

"You are you stupid little girl. Now get out of my sight!" Accalia turns and her hair flips, "what are you all looking at? Get back to work!" She barks at those watching before storming off. Lovetta quickly wipes her eyes and heads back towards the house, practically running inside. Ella looks up from straightening the bedroom as Lovetta throws herself on the couch and grabs a pillow, letting her tears fall.

"Lovetta?" Ella rushes over and kneels by the couch, at a loss. "What happened? Didn't you have your meeting with alpha Accalia today?"

"Ha! Meeting? More like her berating me!" Lovetta lets out a few more sobs, unsure why Accalia's words bothered her so much. "I didn't ask for this! It isn't my fault! And.. And now that I'm trying all she seems to want to do is make me miserable!" Ella's brow furrows but she doesn't say anything, simply putting a gentle hand on Lovetta's shoulder and rubbing it in a soothing manner.

"There, there. I'm sure that she isn't really angry at you but at your parents."

"That's not fair to them! They were already punished by her and Amigo. It isn't fair to take it out on me." Lovetta sits up, clutching the pillow she had grabbed. She sniffles and wipes her face, trying to catch her breath. "Why does she hate them so much?"

"Well… Your mom was in the running to be a beta to Amigo before Miaya was picked. Your mom was at the top of his list, his best friend practically. She spoke out of turn at a Council meeting and was kicked out of the running right after she had you. When you were a few years old, she overheard a prophecy that you would be the mate to Fenrir. We don't exactly know why this scared her, but she ran. Fenrir changed after that. He was only a child, but he became meaner and more guarded. It really scared a lot of people, especially after the death of his brother when he became the next alpha."

"Wait, his brother?"

Ella looks uncomfortably at the floor and picks at the seam of her dress, "Fenrir wasn't the first born of Amigo and Accalia. He had an older brother; we aren't supposed to say his name. He died-"

"He was killed by wizards hunting him for sport on the night of the full moon." Both girls jump as they hear Fenrir's gruff voice from the doorway. Ella immediately bows practically to the floor, mumbling her apologies. "Tyler, deal with your mate. Now." Tyler immediately enters behind him and guides Ella out of the room, shutting the door behind himself

"It isn't her-"

"I know. You asked questions." Fenrir runs a hand through his hair and sighs deeply. "It's true. I had an older brother named Beau. He was two years older than me. He was supposed to be the alpha but then, one full moon, he wandered too far from the pack because he was chasing me. We were playing. Then a group of wizards appeared out of thin air and hunted us. He-he led them away. I thought he got away and ran back to the pack. It wasn't until the next day we found his body, beaten and bloody. They tortured him and tried to skin him while he was a wolf." Fenrir's voice cracks slightly as he speaks, sitting with his back facing Lovetta on the ottoman. Lovetta's heart breaks as she sees him try to secretly wipe his face and sees his shoulders sag in defeat. "It was shortly after that that the prophecy was made, and I became the next alpha. I was never meant to be alpha. I was never meant to be this role."

"That's why… When my parents pulled me away, you felt abandoned? You knew I was your mate, even then." Fenrir nods but doesn't say anything. "I was supposed to be the one person who would help you through all of that. I was supposed to be the perfect mate for you, raised in the pack as a full member."

"Yes, you were. But then your parents pulled you away from us, from me." Lovetta quietly approaches him, playing a hand on his shoulder blade.

"I'm- I'm sorry. I can't imagine what that felt like. I truly can't but.. That wasn't my fault, that wasn't your fault."

"I know that now," Fenrir stands up and Lovetta lets her hand fall away. He takes a deep breath before turning to look at Lovetta. "I heard what happened between you and my mother. I am sorry but she was right about the consequences of what your parents did. You may not realize it but what they did was almost unacceptable. My father didn't use an alpha order on them because they were friends, even after she was no longer in the running to be his beta. I'm just sorry she took it out on you."

Lovetta shrugs and tries her best to give him a smile. "I'll get over it. She's your mother and I know that it hurt you. It is only natural that she wants to protect you."

"Be that as it may, I think it may be best if I'm there for your alpha female meetings or lessons or whatever you all are calling them. Especially with the full moon coming up, you need to know how that is going to work." Lovetta shifts her weight, not wanting to think about the full moon and what it would mean for her. "Don't worry. I won't bite you, not yet." Fenrir laughs at the look of terror on Lovetta's face and she can't help but join in.


	15. Chapter 15

(Thank you to all who have read this far! Shout out to the reviewer 'M'! Thank you for your kind words, I truly appreciate it!)

Against Lovetta's wishes, the day of the full moon arrives and most of the day passes like normal until late afternoon when Fenrir ushers her back to their rooms where his parents and her parents wait, all looking very serious. He assures her that nothing is the matter and that it is just to prepare for tonight's events. Her parents sit down with her and her mom takes her hand gently in her's. Their green eyes stare into each other's and Lovetta notes that her mother's were more golden than ever before.

"I don't want you to worry about tonight. We'll all be perfectly fine and will stay away from you. Amigo is giving an Alpha Order with Fenrir tonight to ensure this. We're also going to put spells all around your bedroom to try and deter anyone who might be able to get away from the pack and the order." Lovetta nods and squeezes her mother's hand. "You're going to be perfectly alright as long as you stay in the bedroom after moonrise."

"Your mother and I have never come near you while in our wolf forms, you should be perfectly alright dear." Peter assures her with his usual kind smile.

"Exactly so don't be nervous, ok? If you become nervous your scent becomes stronger and, well, it might run a higher risk or-"

"Mom, I'm going to be fine. I trust you guys to make sure that I'm alright. Don't worry about me." Adolpha gently cups her daughter's cheek and sighs slightly, nodding. She let's go of her daughter's hand and stands up, stepping aside for Amigo and Accalia to talk to her.

"We'll get you an early dinner and then you'll be shut in your bedroom for the night. Like your mother said, both Fenrir and I are giving the Alpha Order so it should take full effect on everyone in the pack. Ella will be in shortly with your meal. Say goodbye to her for the night Adolpha, then go and help prepare the children." Adolpha does as ordered before her and Peter both bow their way out of the room. "Have a good night child." Adolpha says his goodbye and walks out with Accalia. Ever since the other day, Accalia had been more wary and reserved when dealing with Lovetta. She didn't seem to want to spend any unnecessary time for risk of offending Fenrir again. While she was still the alpha female and technically out ranked him, Fenrir was coming in to his own more and more, becoming stronger with each passing day.

"So, what do you guys do during full moons?" Lovetta asks Fenrir, picking at the tassel of a pillow from the couch. Fenrir grins and perches himself on the arm of the couch, his usually brown eyes more yellow and bright.

"Well, my betas and I usually go for a hunt or a run. The cubs tend to play. Some mate pairs go for runs. In general, we have fun."

"What does it feel like?"

"Like nothing you've ever felt before Little Mate. The earth between your paws, completely free of the restrictions of being a human." Fenrir's face lights up in a wolfish smile but it was malicious. Instead it was a look of pure joy, an expression that she had never seen him have before.

"You really love it don't you? Being a wolf?"

"It is a part of who I am. I was born this way." Fenrir gives her a smile and looks up as a soft knock comes from the door. "Come on in Ella." Ella enters the room, carrying a covered tray with Lovetta's dinner. She gives a head bow to Fenrir before setting the tray in front of Lovetta and uncovering it for her. On it was steak, rather rare, potatoes, and vegetables.

"Aren't you all going to eat?" Lovetta asks after thanking Ella. Tyler walks in and gives a head bow to Fenrir, putting his arm around his mate's waist.

"No, we are going hunting tonight. Well, Ella and I are anyway." Tyler and Ella share a smile, clearly in love with each other.

"So, you're ditching me too?" Fenrir asks, frowning slightly. "All of you all are going off with your mates tonight."

"Just because your mate can't join you yet doesn't mean that we can't have fun with our mates." Tyler gently teases, clearly not meaning anything by it. Fenrir, knowing this, grins, and lunges at him, tackling him to the ground. Lovetta yelps and jumps, completely stunned as Ella just steps aside and laughs as they wrestle.

"Stop it you two!" Lovetta shrieks as the two boys roll around on the ground, wrestling each other.

"Relax Lovetta, they're just playing. On the day of the full moon, and those leading up to it, they tend to get restless. We all do." Ella sits next to Lovetta on the couch and grins, her eyes gleaming.

"Oh… That makes sense I suppose. Your body and mind preparing for the change tonight." Lovetta takes a bite of her food and swallows before speaking again. "Isn't changing painful?"

"It is the first few times that you do, and it can be if you fight it. Like your friend Remus does. He tries to deny his wolf, so it becomes more painful for him." Ella shrugs and glances at the boys, "for us here, we barely feel it after the first few times. Now it is more of a natural thing. You'll see one day."

"And if I never want to be a wolf?"

Ella just looks at her with a knowing smile, "we'll cross that bridge when we come to it I suppose." The two boys finally stop wrestling, Fenrir winning of course, and sit on the other couch, both grinning with tousled hair.

"You'll want to be a wolf, don't worry. Just give it a few more months, love. Everyone wants to be a wolf. I mean, we're awesome." Lovetta rolls her eyes at Fenrir's over confidence, chewing her food.

"Excuse me? I don't mean to interrupt but I'm here to do the spells on Lovetta's quarters." Healer Serena says from the door, her wand in hand. Fenrir gestures for her to come in with a smile. "You have to be in the room. So, I would say goodnight now alpha." Lovetta covers her food up and stands, smoothing out her clothes. Fenrir also stands and approaches Lovetta.

"Well, I guess this is goodnight for now. I'll see you in the morning." Lovetta gives him a small, slightly nervous smile. "Don't worry, you'll be just fine." He bends down slightly and lays a kiss on her forehead. "Off you go."

Lovetta turns to Ella with a smile, "have fun tonight I guess."

"I will. Now I've put several books and some other things to occupy you in the room since you can't really leave. I've also put some snacks in there in case you get hungry." Ella gives her a smile before pulling her into a hug, "sorry. One of the things for female wolves around my age is wanting to feed and nurture people." Ella's face turns slightly pink at this but Lovetta shrugs it off, walking to the room.

Healer Serena follows her and shuts the door after Lovetta walks in, waving her wand and muttering spells over it. Lovetta looks around the room and sighs slightly, unsure what to do to kill the time. She isn't tired so sleeping early was out of the question. It was also around five thirty or so, so she had some time to kill. Looking out the window, she sees that the sun has begun to set. After thinking about it for a few moments, she decides on taking a long bath. Grabbing her most current book, she goes to the bathroom and starts to light candles around the room to create a pleasing aroma. Turning on the facets, she finds the perfect temperature and amount of bubbles before sliding her clothes off. As soon as the bath is filled, Lovetta slides into it with ease and relaxes in the warmth. Taking a few deep breaths, Lovetta tries not to think about the moon rising. Outside the small bathroom window, she can see the sun slowly setting behind the trees. While she can't see the moon, she can tell that it was almost time.

Shaking her head, Lovetta closes her eyes and tries not to think about it. She was safe as long as she stayed inside the room. If she didn't leave, then there was no risk to her. It was a very simple thing for her to do. She just had to not focus on what was going on outside of this room for the night. Lovetta sinks down into the water, submerging her ears and listening to the muted world around her. She stays like that for several minutes, focusing on the weightless feeling of her body and her breathing, refusing to let her mind wander off to the outside world.

It isn't long before the bubbles begin to fade away and the water begins to be less warm, still comfortable but not as warm as before. Lovetta sits up and brushes her hair back and opens her eyes, blinking in the light. Water cascades down her shoulders and she sits back against the side of the tub, lifting her toes out of the water and wiggling them.

_Owooo!_

A howl breaks through the silence, causing Lovetta to jump slightly. More wolves join the sound and soon, it is undeniable what is going on outside. Her heart pounds in her chest but she closes her eyes and takes a few deep breaths. I'm okay, she thinks to herself, they're outside and I'm in here, safe as can be. Her bath effectively ruined, Lovetta climbs out of the large tub and drains it before wrapping herself in a warm towel. Looking in the mirror, Lovetta takes a moment to examine herself. She didn't do this often as she thought it was narcissistic and she didn't like being naked when Fenrir was close, it made her uncomfortable even though he gave her privacy and left her be. But she did like to note changes in her body.

Her green eyes scan up and down her body and she note different things such as places where she had filled out. She was developing womanly curves; slowly but surely she was turning into a woman. Accalia had made hints at this throughout their talks about being an alpha female. She focused a lot of their time on how Lovetta was going to bear children one day, the next alpha of the pack even. It was something that scared Lovetta if she was being honest with herself. Grabbing a brush off of the counter, Lovetta gently pulls it through her light blonde hair until it is detangled. Faintly, she can hear the pack's various noises. Her heart was still beating loudly in her chest, but it was less concerning for her. Letting her hair continue to cascade down her back, Lovetta walks into the bedroom and slips into the pajamas that Ella had left out for her. Glancing at the table, she finds some of her all-time favorite treats waiting for her. Chocolate frogs, Fizzing Wizzbees, and crystallized pineapple to name a few.

Deciding it would probably not be best to dig into the treats all at once, she grabs her book and sits on her bed for a bit of reading. After about a half hour of reading, Lovetta gets bored and stands up, walking to the window. She pulls the curtain back slightly and peers out the window where she could see the full moon shining brightly overhead. While she can't see concrete shapes, she can tell where the wolves were from the shadows that were moving against the still of the trees. For some reason, her heart soothed at seeing them, as if she knew everything would be okay. After admiring the scenery for another moment, Lovetta returns to her bed and slides under the sheets, pulling up her book and reading.

An hour or so later, Lovetta finds herself dozing off under the warmth of the blankets. Allowing herself to, Lovetta falls into a slight slumber and rests for a bit. Time passes and the night moves on as Lovetta lays in her bed, not fully asleep but not entirely conscious either. It was like something was holding her back from falling fully asleep, like some part of her knew that she needed to be awake for something. While she was resting, she could not force herself to fall asleep. Around midnight, Lovetta finds that she is too hot and slides out of bed, tip toes to the window, and cracks it opens the slightest bit without thinking about her actions. Returning to her bed, she saves her spot in her book and places it on her bedside table. Feeling the slight breeze come in from the window, Lovetta somehow finds herself more awake than before. It takes her a few minutes, but she soon realizes what she just did.

Shooting up in bed, Lovetta scrambles out from under her covers and sprints to the window, slamming it shut. Her heart beating loudly in her chest and her breath now coming out in pants from panic, her eyes dart around the darkness outside for any movement and her trembling hands seek the window locks. Shoot, shoot, shoot! Lovetta thinks, I had one job to do and I messed up! Her mind was reeling with hundreds of possibilities, each one more horrible than the last. What if Fenrir got hurt trying to protect her? What if Fenrir came after her in his wolf form? What if Fenrir _bit_ her and turned her into a wolf against her will by accident? Or what if this was all a plot to make it to where she was a wolf?

_Owooo!_

Another howl breaks through the night, this one blood thirsty and closer. Lovetta sees a dark shape moving quickly out of the woods and pulls the current over the window, stumbling back from it. Trying to control her breathing, she covers her mouth and watches the window. Another blood curdling howl cuts through the night, this one right outside her window. Shaking her head in disbelief and despair, Lovetta runs towards the closet and grabs a chair as she does, shoving it under the handle of the closet door after she shuts it. As she curls up on the floor of the closet, Lovetta hears a loud crash and knows the window is broken to pieces. Slapping her hand over her mouth, Lovetta can't help but whimper slightly as she hears the heavy breathing of a wolf from the bedroom. Lovetta listens as it sniffs around the room, ripping apart the sheets and the pillows as it makes its way. She hears it go into the bathroom and rip things apart in there then exits, sniffing around the room again. The sound gets louder and louder as Lovetta's heart pounds in her chest and silent tears drop down her cheeks.

A loud growl is heard then a claw breaks through the door and Lovetta cries out, scurrying back into a corner. A pair of large paws easily rip through the door and soon Lovetta finds herself face to face with a large werewolf with dark brown fur and bright amber eyes. Lovetta scrambles into a standing position and tries to find a way out, her entire body shaking. The wolf stares her down, baring his teeth and growling as he crouches low. Lovetta's heart pounds and she cries, trying to think of how to get out of this situation. Something in her gut told her to scream, so she did.

Letting out the loudest scream she possibly could, Lovetta calls for help. The wolf growls louder and rears back on to it's back paws, its front paws kicking out toward Lovetta. Lovetta throws up her arms to shield herself and crumbles to the ground as she is scratched by the wolf. Blood soaks the floor and her shirt and Lovetta tries to push herself further away from the wolf, her back hitting the end of the closet. The wolf crouches low and advances, licking its mouth in hunger. Its amber eyes stare into her as she whimpers, begging it to leave her be. As the wolf towers over her and pulls its head back, ready to take a bite, Lovetta closes her eyes and waits for the pain to come.

But it doesn't. Instead, the wolf is attacked from behind and thrown out of the way. A large, black wolf easily tosses the wolf away and back into the bedroom. The black wolf jumps over the broken door easily and leaps on the brown wolf, the two snarling at each other. Her arms still bleeding, Lovetta creeps forward and peers out of the room to see the black wolf standing over the brown wolf, holding a chunk of fur from the brown wolf. The brown wolf whimpers and submits, laying on the floor, bleeding from various places. The black wolf lets out a short growl and the brown wolf stands, limping back out the window and back to the woods. Lovetta backs up from the doorway as the black wolf turns on her. Golden eyes meet green and Lovetta realizes that Fenrir had saved her life.


	16. Chapter 16

(I hope you are all staying safe during this confusing time!)

Lovetta stares into Fenrir's golden eyes as he takes a step toward her, his head slightly bowed. Cautiously, her heart pounding in her chest, Lovetta climbs over the broken door to the best of her ability. Her arms were still bleeding, and she was beginning to lose feeling. Bowing her head in return to Fenrir, she lets him know that he is in charge. She knew, based on pure instinct, he was not going to attack her but also knew she needed to give him the respect a future alpha deserves. It was one of the first things that Accalia had taught her. An alpha need to feel respected at all times, especially by their mate. Fenrir watches as she makes her way to the bed and rips a piece of sheet. Wincing and trying not to cry out in pain, Lovetta wraps one arm then the other with the ripped fabric. The room was absolutely destroyed. The window was broken, spraying glass everywhere. Her treats had been torn to shreds, along with her book. The bedspreads on both beds were destroyed and the various trinkets were demolished.

"You're not going to be very happy with me tomorrow, are you?" Lovetta asks Fenrir as he stares at her. He does not respond other than to cock his head slightly and walk to the window. In one easy bound, he leaps out of the broken window and onto the grass. Lovetta turns and watches him as he lays in front of the window, his head up and watching the woods. He was protecting her.

Stumbling to the bathroom, her head spinning, Lovetta gingerly turns on the faucet and drinks from the water. She had lost a lot of blood, and while drinking from the faucet was not going to fix everything, it was worth a shot at least. Lovetta drinks until she cannot anymore and stumbles out to the bedroom, falling on Fenrir's shredded bed and half passes out, half falls asleep.

Soon, morning comes and Lovetta is woken up by Fenrir rushing into the room and picking her up. She eventually comes to, groggy and weak feeling, and tries to move her arms. "Don't move them… just let me take care of you. Serena is on her way." Fenrir gently shushes her, running to the Healer's place of rest. Through her half-shut eyes, Lovetta could see the pack members slowly making their way out of the woods. It was clear that it had been a long night for all of them but for most of them, they looked happy and relaxed. A few had cuts and scrapes on them but nothing major.

Fenrir rushes in the door and quickly lays her on the bed, allowing Healer Serena to immediately step in and take care of her. With her wand at the ready, Serena checks over Lovetta with a few simple spells. She confirms that she had not been bitten and sets about healing the cuts. As they were made from a werewolf, they were slightly trickier than normal cuts, but Serena had a lot of experience and managed to put on a salve and bandage them. Sitting Lovetta up as gently as possible, Serena pours a blood replenishing potion into her mouth. Lovetta sputters but swallows most of it, just wanting to lie back down and sleep. Ella enters as Serena is finishing, carrying a bowl of warm water and clothes. She bows her head to Fenrir before setting about wiping the blood and sweat off of Lovetta.

"She hasn't been bitten and she will live, Ut Alpha, but she will need lots of rest and relaxation to fully recover from her wounds. I would also guess there will be some nightmares and trauma to come from this. I would also guess there will be some scarring," Serena quietly tells Fenrir as she finishes with her work, both of them watching as Ella sets about her task. "I'm worried how she will react to all of this and how this even happened."

"I'm curious about that too." Amigo says as he enters, looking more tired than usual. "Can your mate really not follow simple instructions like stay in your room?"

Fenrir growls, his biceps flexing, "do not speak ill of my mate."

"Do not growl at me, boy." Amigo sits in a chair in the corner of the room, his entire body sagging as he does so.

"Do not challenge me, old man. Maybe if you had let me do the alpha order as you said you would, then this would not have happened! My mate would not be scared for life!" Both Serena and Ella bow their heads instinctively from the argument between the two alphas. Amigo stares at his son and sighs, shaking his head. "Do not shake your head at me. This falls on you."

"Do not blame-"

"My-my fault." Lovetta cuts Amigo off, quietly admitting it. "My fault.." Her words are hushed but carry power through the room, drawing all attention to her and silencing the two men. "I'm sorry."

"You need to rest Lovetta, do not speak." Serena urges, bringing forward another potion. "Here, drink." Serena feeds Lovetta the potion and gets her to settle down. "My alphas, I would ask that you take your conversation outside and let Lovetta rest, it is what she needs right now." Begrudgingly, Fenrir nods his head and leaves the room, pushing past Lovetta's worried parents as they go to enter the house. Amigo soon follows behind his son but makes his way to their house, letting his son go.

Fenrir storms through the camp until he finds the group he is looking for. His betas all wait in a circle for him with their mates, a few tending to the small wounds. They all looked worrisome, rightfully so. Fenrir was livid. He looked like he was about to fly off the handle. As soon as he walks over to the group, all of the betas and their mates bow in submission and let him speak first.

"You. How _dare_ you." Fenrir's voice is not a shout, rather a quiet anger which was bubbling just below the surface. "How dare you lay a hand on my mate, your future alpha. How dare you think that you can attack her and leave her permanently scarred! You, you will never be a beta. You will be _nothing_ to me or to anyone in this pack."

"Ut Alpha, if- if I could just explain. It was not my fault. I didn't-"

"You didn't _what_, Jacob? Have control? You have been a wolf since birth! You have no excuse! You and I learned together. You and I were trained together. We were brothers! But you broke the order, you broke my trust in you!" Fenrir turns away from the disgraced beta, shaking his head and trying not to physically hurt Jacob. "You are lucky that I did not kill you last night because trust me, it crossed my mind _several_ times." Jacob cowers, holding his shoulder where Fenrir had taken out a large chunk of his flesh. It would be enough to scar him, but he would eventually recover from it. "You are lucky that I do not kick you and your mate out of my pack. For the sake of your mate, you will go into the woods and not return for two weeks. This is your punishment. You may pack what you need from your home and you will not return for two weeks. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Ut Alpha. Thank you." Jacob and Carly both bow and hurry off, Carly helping to support Jacob as much as he allows her. The rest of the betas stay quiet as Fenrir tries to collect himself. He could only think of how Lovetta would react to him killing someone to keep himself calm, or as calm as he could be.

"How is she?" Denzel asks Fenrir after Fenrir sits down and seems to settle.

"She will live. There will be physical scarring as well as mental scarring as far as Serena can tell. Ella and her parents are in there right now with her. After I shower and change, I'll join them."

"You need to eat, Ut Alpha." Daniell reminds him, "the food will be done in a little bit. My mom is heating up things she prepared yesterday afternoon." Fenrir nods his head and thanks him, staring at the ground.

"She's stronger than we all gave her credit for initially. She'll be okay." Tyler reassures him, not really sure what else to say to Fenrir. He knew that Fenrir was itching to go and look after Lovetta or to go and kill Jacob, he was not really sure which one was stronger right now. "What do you need from us?"

"Make sure that Jacob obeys his punishment. I'll speak with my father and the Council about what other disciplinary measures to take."

"I think you should also talk to Lovetta, once she's well enough." Denzel suggests, earning some funny looks from the others. "I just mean that she is the future alpha female, and this did happen to her. She deserves to have her opinions heard in my opinion."

Fenrir thinks on it before nodding, "you're right. That is a good suggestion Denzel. And who knows? Maybe I'll get to kill him after all." Fenrir grins at the thought, feeling his inner wolf grin along with him. Daniell and Tyler both give a small chuckle, but Denzel does not even shed a smile. He did not like the idea of more bloodshed, especially from someone that Fenrir had considered a brother until last night.

True to his word, Daniell's mom soon carries food over to the group along with plates and utensils. She bows to Fenrir and leaves the food before walking away. Fenrir, his betas, and Willow all dig into the food with fervor. Fenrir finishes his off first before rushing to the house. After a quick shower in a guest bathroom, he hurries to his room and grabs clothes. A few members of the pack were already in there cleaning up and trying to put things back together again. Fenrir acknowledged them and pulled on his clothes. Before going to Lovetta, Fenrir makes one more stop to grab a vase with some water. Plucking a few flowers from a bush outside, he places them in the vase and walks to where Lovetta was resting. He gives a nod of acknowledgement to Ella and her Lovetta's parents before setting the flowers on Lovetta's bedside and gently taking her hand, careful not to disturb her. Ella dismisses herself to eat and clean herself up and Adolpha does the same, leaving Peter and Fenrir to watch over Lovetta.

"Thank you." Peter says after several minutes of silence. "For saving her last night. I should have been there. I should have protected her-"

"No. It is no longer your job. She is my mate. She is almost of age. It is my job to protect her." Fenrir silences the older man with a few simple words, not looking away from Lovetta. "I should have done more. I should have gotten to her faster."

"My alpha, with all due respect," Peter bows his head slightly, "you did what you could have. You saved her life. Without you, she would have died or been bitten and then died. You saved her. You did your job."

Glancing down at the bandages, Fenrir cannot help but disagree. "But I didn't save all of her."


	17. Chapter 17

Fenrir stays by Lovetta's side for the next day, not allowing anything to happen without him there. He only gets up once or twice to use the restroom, taking his lunch and dinner in the room. Ella stays throughout most of the day, helping when she can. Healer Serena comes and goes, checking in every hour and doing various spells to check on Lovetta's progress. Lovetta's bandages are changed frequently but she sleeps through all of it, only stirring once or twice. It isn't until the sun is setting behind the trees that Lovetta begins to wake up.

Groaning softly, Lovetta blinks and tries to sit up, her mouth dry and her body aching. Fenrir is immediately by her side, watching her every move. Ella jumps up and sprints down the hallway to fetch Healer Serena. "Fe-Fenrir?"

"Yes, mate?"

"Are-are you hurt?" Fenrir can't help but smile at the groggy words of his mate, shaking his head.

"No. I'm not hurt. Only you would ask about someone else while you're in the hospital. How do you feel?"

"Like crap but I guess that's expected," Lovetta tries to joke. She knew that Fenrir felt bad about what had happened. "I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?" Before Lovetta can answer, Healer Serena comes in and nudges him to the side, pouring a Blood Replenishing potion and a Pick Me Up potion down Lovetta's throat and asking how she feels.

"Hungry. Gross. Sore."

Healer Serena smiles a little bit and does a spell, checking the young girl's vitals. "You're going to be alright. You may have some slight scarring but you're going to be just fine. Can you try to squeeze your fingers?" Lovetta nods and, while it takes a moment, she manages to open and close her hands to Healer Serena's satisfaction. "That's a very good sign, it means there's no extra damage. You'll take a while to heal but you'll make a full recovery. Your left arm will take longer to heal as I'm guessing that was the arm that was on the top, so it took the brunt of the attack. Ella has gone to get your dinner. Do you feel up to eating?"

"Yes please. How long have I been asleep?"

"Pretty much all day. Your parents have been worried sick. It wasn't until Miaya told them to go and help with the children that they finally left my front door step." Healer Serena didn't seem to care for Lovetta's parents much but Lovetta couldn't figure out why. Maybe they had been friends when they had lived here last? Who knew. Ella comes rushing in a few moments later, Lovetta's parents close behind. Ella barely has time to set the tray down on Lovetta's bed before Peter and Adolpha swarm Lovetta's bed, asking a million questions in one fell swoop. "Will you please step back from her bed? She just woke up and needs some space!"

"Will you calm down Serena? I'm her mother!"

"And I'm a Healer, in case you've forgotten." Adolpha and Serena glare at each other, neither one backing down.

"Yes, I remember. You're mom and dad's pride and joy" Adolpha rolls her eyes at her younger sister, backing off her daughter slightly.

"Wait, mom and dad? You're sisters?" Lovetta's eyes can't help but widen and everyone looks at her as if she were slow. It was true the two women looked similar, sharing the same chocolate brown hair, but Lovetta had figured that was just a coincidence.

"You hadn't told her that I was your sister?" Serena asks, hurt flashing in her eyes. Adolpha has the humility to at least look slightly sheepish, shifting her weight slightly.

"It simply hadn't come up yet." Serena purses her lips and stuffs her wand in her waist band, preparing to leave.

"If you need me, Lovetta, please call for me. I'll be in the house the rest of the night." Lovetta nods, her ears slightly pink, and Serena leaves the room, shooting one last glare at her sister.

"I'm sorry, Mom. I really didn't know." Adolpha shakes her head and gently touches her daughter's knee.

"You don't need to apologize, Lovetta. It isn't your fault. I never told you because my sister and I don't necessarily get along." Adolpha gives her daughter a slight smile and tries to brush it off, "how are you feeling?"

"Okay." Lovetta brushes off her mother and turns to Fenrir who was trying to restrain himself from pushing Adolpha and Peter out of the way. "What happened last night?"

"Yes, I would like to know that too" Peter's voice comes across offended and he quickly tries to apologize.

Fenrir sits on the end of Lovetta's bed and sighs heavily, "I want to first say that this never should have happened and how sorry I am." Lovetta and her mate make eye contact and Lovetta immediately registers the hurt in his hazel eyes. She tries to reach down and take his hand, but Fenrir stops her, gently taking her hand. They weren't exactly close but after him protecting her last night, it finally seemed to click in Lovetta's head how much he was willing to protect her, what lengths he would go to for her. "After we left you and Healer Serena put magical protection over the room, my father and I met up to give the Alpha Order to the pack. Right before, my father told me that only he was going to do it. That I wasn't ready." Lovetta gives Fenrir's hand a small squeeze, trying to help him keep his cool. Fenrir gives her a grateful look and continues, "so I didn't give the order. I'm guessing that's how Jacob was able to break past the Alpha Order. Though my father does not want to admit it, he is not as strong as he once was. When I smelled you, my more wolfish side was immediately interested and came to your aid. When I saw him attacking you… I'll be honest, I don't remember much of the fight with him. That can sometimes happen if my wolf side takes over completely. After I was able to clear my head a little bit, I decided to stay and protect you in case any other pack members tried anything. Clearly you did something to appease my wolf."

"After you attacked him and it was clear, I bowed to you… Your mom said to always show you respect since you're an alpha and that it would help keep you calmer." Fenrir gives her a smile and leans down, placing a small kiss on her hand which sends shivers up her arm.

"That was a very smart choice. I'm glad you learned something from your talks with my mom." Lovetta's cheeks warm up slightly and she can't help but smile sheepishly.

"What's going to happen to Jacob now?"

"Right now, he's banished to the woods. His mate will tend to him. He will be back in a week for a trial before the Council, myself, and my father."

"Can-can I come?" This question catches everyone's attention and Lovetta's face flushes even more.

"Of course, you can, if you're feeling better by then."

"I feel fine now Fenrir, really." Lovetta gingerly picks up the spoon for her soup and tries to scoop soup some to eat, dropping the spoon. "Well… Maybe not that much better but I will be by the meeting."

"Alright love. If you feel better by the day before, then you can attend and give your side of the story in front of the entire Council." Fenrir gives her a slight smile and cleans up the spilled soup with a napkin, tossing it into the trash can. "Do you want me to help you?" Lovetta blushes slightly, embarrassed that she can't even feed herself, and shakes her head. "You don't need to be embarrassed. Would it help if it was Ella or your mom?"

"Ella, do you mind helping me?" Lovetta sheepishly asks, her ears red.

"Not at all." Ella takes a seat next to Lovetta and helps support her hand as she eats. Fenrir stays in the room but takes a few steps back, giving them some room. "After this do you want to try to bathe?"

"Please. I don't think I've been this gross since I first got here." Lovetta and Ella both lightly chuckle over this. "How's Tyler?"

"He's good. Mad at Jacob but rightfully so I think. We just hope that the Council isn't too harsh on him and punish him by death or permanent banishment."

"They wouldn't do that, would they? I mean, it was an accident." Ella and Lovetta both look over at Fenrir who was scowling now.

"They have the right and a part of me wants them to, but I think that they'll kick him out of the running for Beta and possibly demote him for a while. I don't really know though. This isn't something we thought possible." Fenrir shrugs and leans against the wall, crossing his arms. Lovetta couldn't help but think about how muscular his arms look and pulls herself away from looking at him. "Whatever they decide will be fair I'm sure. There's a lot of people pissed off at him. It's one of the reasons he's been banished for a while, partly for his own safety so no one takes it out on him."

"Why would they do that if they know a trial is going to happen?"

"Just like a few days before we shift for the full moon, a few days after we're a little high strung sometimes. Especially the younger generations. There tends to be one or two fights that break out a few days afterwards." Adolpha explains for her daughter, shooting a glance at Fenrir. "Especially the higher up you are in rank or even potential ranking."

"Tread carefully Omega. From what I remember, you were a frequent fighter before you left." Fenrir growls out, smirking slightly. Adolpha bows her head to him and smirks a little, as if remembering those days fondly.

"I can't picture you fighting." Lovetta admits aloud, catching her parents' attention. "Well, as a wolf I could because you guys say you like to fight in wolf form. But as a human? I can't imagine it."

Peter chuckles a little and gives his daughter a smile, "your mother once fought a woman because she looked at me for too long. Who was it again?" Adolpha sheepishly blushes and murmurs a response that Lovetta can't hear but makes her father say "that's right! Wasn't she seventeen at the time?"

"It had been her birthday the day before." Adolpha admits, sharing a smile with her husband. "What can I say? You were my mate and I was very young at the time. I couldn't help my wolf." Peter chuckles slightly and kisses Adolpha's temple, the two sharing a soft smile. It reminded Lovetta of how they had been before they had come to live with the pack, and it made her smile. Glancing over at Fenrir, she couldn't help but wonder if they would ever get to that point in their relationship. "I'm not the only one who has fought someone for staring at their mate I'm sure."

"Tyler fought with Steven over me" Ella admits, blushing slightly.

"That's true. It was as soon as you two found out you were mates. Tyler was _pissed_ at him." Fenrir chuckles a little bit, smiling.

Ella's face flushes, "he was just trying to be polite." Lovetta raises her eyebrow, silently asking what happened. "Steven is a good friend of mine and he often would help me carry things back when I worked in the orchards. Well, Tyler saw that he was helping me, and his wolf got mad that I had chosen another male to help me. Afterwards, he admitted that had it not been so soon after the full moon and so soon after we'd found out we were mates, he wouldn't have done anything like that."

"I was about to say, that doesn't sound anything like Tyler." Lovetta says with a smile, finishing the last bite of food. Her belly felt extremely full of the food and she sits back in her pillows.

"Being someone's mate will make you be extremely protective over them; it is just in our nature to be like that." Fenrir gives her a knowing look.

"That's why you reacted the way you did with Jacob last night." Fenrir nods and stands up straight, stretching his back and yawning. "Have you slept at all since last night?" He doesn't answer immediately but his face says it all, "Fenrir! You need to sleep!"

"Don't patronize me, Parvulus."

"I'm not patronizing you; I'm simply trying to make sure that you take care of yourself. I want you to go and get some sleep. Please?" Fenrir stares at her for a minute before relenting. He crosses the room to her and places a gentle kiss on her forehead, sending shivers down her entire body.

"You get some sleep too, okay?" Lovetta's face flushes again but she nods, squeaking out that she would. "I'll see you tomorrow." With that, Fenrir says goodbye to the others in the room and leaves. Lovetta watches him go before looking back at her parents and Ella, who were all grinning from ear to ear.

"Oh nothing. You're just as red as a strawberry is all." Peter chuckles with the other two when Lovetta turns an even pinker shade.

"I told you he wasn't that bad." Ella teases in a sing song voice.


	18. Chapter 18

(A/N: I'm so sorry for the long wait! I have had horrible writer's block but I'm hoping to get back into it in the next coming weeks. I hope you enjoy the chapter! Please leave feedback!)

After two days, Lovetta is finally allowed to travel further than her hospital room. Her left arm is put in a cast but her right arm is simply heavily bandaged. Over the two days, she gains back some of the strength in her right arm and is able to lift things on her own. Fenrir still watches her and helps her most of the time, insisting that she needed to take it easier. If he wasn't watching her, Ella was right by her side. On the third day after the full moon, Lovetta sits down outside for dinner with her parents, Fenrir and his parents, Ella, Tyler, and Ella's parents. The ten of them are enjoying their dessert when Carly gingerly walks up, sniffling.

"Fe-Fenrir? Can we talk?" Carly asks through her tears, her head bowed in submission. Fenrir had been approached multiple times by Carly who was begging for her mate to be released from his banishment.

"Carly, now is not the time nor the place." Fenrir doesn't even look at her, making Lovetta frown. She knew that he was supposed to be stoic and not say anything before the Council met but Lovetta's heart couldn't help but break a little bit for Carly's predicament. She truly loved Jacob.

"Pl-please Fenrir, what if he gets hurt? What if he- he dies?" Fenrir glances at his parents but they both give him a look saying that they wanted him to handle it as they were observing how he acted with the situation. "I don't know wh-what else y-you want from him!" Carly cries. Fenrir tenses up, ready to snap but Lovetta jumps in, standing up.

"Carly, it isn't about what we want him to do. It is about what he did." Reaching out with her right hand, Lovetta gently places a hand on Carly's shoulder, drawing her attention away from Fenrir. "Your mate broke an Alpha Order, one of our most binding orders. If your mate is in trouble in the woods, truly in trouble, then the pack will offer help but there is no reason to believe that he is. Jacob is strong. You are strong. I know that this is hard but you will get through this. You know that we can not do anything to help him until the Council makes their decision in four days. I'm sorry but that is the way that it is. He is still a member of the pack. I would encourage you to, instead of begging Fenrir for something that you know can not happen, go be with your mate. Prepare for what may happen and be with him. He needs you to be strong and to be there with him, through everything." Carly sniffles but seems to calm down, bowing her head to the younger girl. Lovetta picks up her napkin and offers it to Carly for her to wipe her eyes. "Here. Now, wipe your eyes, return to your home and pack food for your mate. Go on."

"Th-thank you.." Carly sniffles and walks away, looking ever so slightly better than she had when she had come to them. Lovetta turns back to the table to find all eyes staring at her.

"What? What did I do?" Lovetta's heart thumps loudly in her chest and she suddenly felt very nervous and self conscious.

Fenrir can't help the smile on his face but before he can say anything, his mother speaks up. "You really are learning how to be an excellent alpha female. Good job Lovetta."

"All I did was-"

"'All you did' was comfort her but be stern with her, just like I told you an alpha female needs to be. You are becoming exactly what you're supposed to be." Lovetta's face flushes and she sits back down in her chair, her entire face bright red.

"I'm proud of you," Fenrir says with a smile, leaning over to kiss her temple. "That was really good."

"Thank you" Lovetta can't help but feel proud of herself, just a tiny bit.

The night continues on and eventually Lovetta and Fenrir make their way to their room. The next few days go by without incident until it is the day of the trial. Ella helps Lovetta get ready. It would be Lovetta's first time going in front of the Council and she was extremely nervous, even though Fenrir told her that she had nothing to be worried about. She'd spent her time since the incident reading up on incidences like this and different situations that were similar. There wasn't one case that Lovetta felt was exactly like this one but she figured it was better to be over prepared with knowledge of other cases than to be under prepared and never having looked at them. While she did know that Jacob would be punished, regardless of the story that Lovetta and him told, she did not want him to be banished or severely punished. He knew what he did was wrong and Lovetta knows that he feels bad. What more the Council could ask for, she didn't know.

"Are you ready?" Lovetta turns her head away from her mirror and looks at Fenrir who was standing in a deep red dress shirt and a pair of dark jeans. A part of her couldn't help but notice how attractive he looks and she blushes at the thought, quickly looking away.

"Yes, I'm as ready as I think I'll ever be." Fenrir walks over and gently takes Lovetta's right hand in his, looking at the fine red marks that were slowly fading away. His brow furrows and Lovetta pulls her hand away, thinking he thinks they're ugly. "Just let me grab a sweater."

"Why would you grab a sweater? Are you cold?"

"Well, no, I mean, it is slightly windy outside but I just figured you wouldn't want to see… well that the scars, they're-"

Fenrir quickly crosses to his retreating mate and takes her hand firmly, careful not to hurt her. "Let's get this straight right now, Lovetta. Your scars are beautiful, every part of you is beautiful and I will not hear any less. Is that understood?" Lovetta lifts her green eyes to meet his, seeing how much he truly meant what he said. "

"Ye-yes Fenrir…"

"Good. Now, if you want a sweater feel free to wear one but I don't want you wearing it simply to hide your scars. I want you to hold your head up proudly, especially today. The Council will not take it well if you act as sheepish as you do sometimes. We need you to be bold." Fenrir bends and kisses Lovetta's hand gently, lingering there a moment to see the goosebumps grow up her arm at the action. He can't help but smile a little bit, keeping it to himself. "I know this may seem scary but there's no need for you to be nervous in front of the Council."

"I know… And you'll be by me the whole time, right?"

Fenrir nods, "I will. Technically your parents will also be there but as I'm your mate and I was the one who stopped him from…" Fenrir frowns at the thought and Lovetta gulps, knowing what he didn't say. "But I will be beside you physically, yes."

Lovetta nods and feels reassured by this, though she didn't know why. Sure, she trusted Fenrir but that didn't explain why him simply being beside her would make her feel assured.

"Excuse me, the Alphas are wondering if you two are ready to go." Ella walks in the doorway and bows her head in respect. Everyone was being especially formal with the two of them today. With the Council all gathered, it was a very big deal. They'd apparated and floo'd in from all of the country. Everyone in the pack was on edge and on their very best behavior. Even the children seemed to understand that it was important. While the Council could not necessarily go against the Alphas, they could say they were unfit and hold a Trial which invited challenges against the Alpha both from inside and outside the pack. It rarely happened to Lovetta's understanding but it was always a worry when they were all there.

"We're ready." Fenrir gently places Lovetta's hand on his arm and leads her out of the room, passing by Ella. Tyler and the rest of the potential Betas meet them outside as they walk, all bowing their heads. The Council, the Alphas, the Betas, and Jacob would all be waiting at the Hall of the Council where the trial would take place. Those that wished to attend the trial, would follow after Lovetta and Fenrir made their way there. When Lovetta had first heard this, she thought it kind of silly but Amigo had explained that it was symbolizing how Fenrir and Lovetta would lead when Amigo and Accalia were not there any longer. She still thought it was silly but it made sense. Fenrir and Lovetta keep walking and the potential betas follow behind them. Soon enough, the first few people fall in line behind the betas and eventually most of the pack was following them. Fenrir leads the way to the large gathering house which was on a worn path through the woods. Light flitters down between the trees and Lovetta's breath catches slightly as she's reminded just how beautiful their home was.

Birds fly freely over head while the group walks in relative silence, only the whispers of a few members of the pack breaking the silence. It wasn't tense but it was heavy air. Everyone knew that the decisions made today would shape the pack for the rest of history, and would shape Fenrir's path as Alpha and Lovetta's as Alpha Female. Lovetta takes a moment to glance up at Fenrir's face, noting how tense and serious he looked now that the building was coming into view. Made out of large oak trees, it was hard to miss the old building. From an outside view, it just looks like a large log cabin in the middle of the woods but for those that know it's meaning, it looks very regal and serious. It was sort of like a courthouse for the pack. As soon as she sees the building for the first time, with the guards standing outside the doors and a few more patrolling the building, Lovetta couldn't help but grip Fenrir's arm slightly tighter. Without a word, Fenrir places his other hand on top of her's and squeezes slightly, letting her know he was still there.

As they approach, the guards watch them. "Who seeks entrance?" Another part of the spectacle of the whole trial were the questions asked. Lovetta figured it was like this at court as well.

"Fenrir Greyback, son of Adolpha and Accalia, Ut Alpha of the Northern Pack along with my mate, Lovetta Molow, daughter of Adolpha and Peter Molow, Ut Alpha Feminam of the Northern Pack. My betas as well as members of the Northern Pack follow where I lead and seek entrance as well." Fenrir recites with ease and, though Fenrir would deny it in front of anyone, Lovetta was grateful that his practice paid off. Lovetta had heard him practicing for the past few nights right before he fell asleep.

The guard nods his head and bows to Fenrir, "Ut Alpha, Ut Alpha Feninam, I, Rorick, son of Treeal and Ryan, guard of the Northern Pack, do hereby grant you and your companions entrance into the Hall of the Council." Rorick straightens and nods to his fellow guard and they push the large polished doors open. Fenrir and Lovetta take a breath together and step into the Hall of the council.


	19. Chapter 19

(A/N: bit of a longer chapter but I hope you enjoy it!)

The Hall of the Council is silent as Fenrir and Lovetta walk through, both leaning on each other for strength. Lovetta's eyes scan the hall. It was a simple tiled floor. Before them, in a semi circle the Council, the Alphas, and the Betas all sit in high chairs, all looking very serious. The air is tense. Off to the left side, a door was open and Lovetta had been told that is where Jacob and his mate were waiting to be invited into the chamber. There were two seats off to the right side where Fenrir and Lovetta would sit and the potential betas would gather behind them, in their own seats. The other members of the pack who chose to attend would fill the rest of the room, all ready to watch and see what happens.

Fenrir and Lovetta make their way up to the front, wait a second or two, and bow together to the Alphas who bow their heads back. They both bow their heads to the Betas and then acknowledge the Council. Everyone behind them does the same as they enter the space and find the seats. Once the sound behind them has come to a relative halt, Amigo stands up and raises one hand, instantly drawing attention to himself and silencing the room.

"Welcome tonight to the members of our pack and to our Council. Thank you for being witness to tonight's trial of Jacob Whiller. We will hear from members of our pack who will bear witness. The Council will then make a recommendation." Amigo turns to the guard in front of the door which Jacob was hiding behind. "Bring in the accused." The guard bows and walks through the door, emerging a moment later with Jacob who looked as though he had not been sleeping. His mate silently follows behind him, tears pouring down her face. Carly still keeps her head high and takes her spot among the group of pack members. Jacob bows to Amigo, the betas, and then the Council members in turn. He looked strong but Lovetta could see how broken inside he really was. Her heart ached to be able to reach out and touch him, help him. "We will hear from the witnesses first and then the accused will be invited to speak." The attention then turns to Lovetta and Fenrir at that point. "Rise Lovetta and tell us your truth." Amigo sits down and Lovetta looks at Fenrir who gives her a small nod of encouragement.

Lovetta takes a deep breath and rises with Fenrir, making her way to the witness chair as the guards carry it over and set it down. Lovetta sits down in the high backed chair and takes a deep breath, trying not to let her nervousness show. Ella and her had been practicing for the past few days but looking at the faces of the Council members, she suddenly forgets everything they'd rehearsed. Fenrir rests a hand on her shoulder and whispers, "breathe, you're fine."

"Lovetta, please recount the events of that night." Amigo instructs, "speak your truth and all will hear."

Lovetta takes a deep breath and starts telling her story. She tells how the protection spells had been set up and how Amigo had given the Alpha Order. She tells how she'd opened the window in her sleep and how Jacob had gotten in; how Fenrir had come to her aid and how she had calmed him. It takes a few minutes and no one interrupts, respecting her time to tell her story. She shows the scars on her arms and her bandages that remain. When Lovetta finishes, she takes a deep breath and realizes how much lighter she felt after telling her story.

"Thank you for sharing your truth with us Lovetta." The pack members copy her in a murmur, all thanking her for sharing. "Now, may the Council ask you questions?"

"Of course, Alpha." Lovetta nods and looks around at the Council members, waiting for the impending questions. Fenrir had warned her that a few of them didn't like him and his father so they would probably be hard on her.

One Council member rises from his seat, looking down at Fenrir and Lovetta with cold eyes. Gulping, Lovetta stares right back at him. "Councilman Henry Peterman speaking. You claim that you were 'mostly' asleep but a part of me sincerely doubts this, I mean no offense." Henry bows his head and smirks, "Now, regardless of this-"

"Pardon me, Councilman but why on Earth would I lie about this? You asked for my truth and I gave it. I have given-"

"Is it not true that when you first came here you doubted our humanity? You thought we were all beasts? Maybe you thought that the night of the moon we would all be preoccupied so you could sneak away, run away from your responsibilities just like your mother and father did all those years ago." Councilman Henry stares down at her, smirking. "Or perhaps you are so unhappy here that you would rather die than be a member of our pack. Or, perhaps you were attempting to be bitten by someone other than your mate so you would be unworthy to be our alpha female. I can not guess your motives behind your actions-"

"My motives? I was half asleep and warm!" Lovetta argues indignantly but Councilman Henry keeps talking over her.

"But I find it quite suspect that you were simply asleep and woke up to open a window." Councilman Henry looks around at the other members of the Council, "surely I can not be the only one who is questioning this girl's story. We simply must look at the facts here. She disobeyed simple orders, she put herself intentionally in harms way, and is not expecting us to feel sorry for her getting a few scrapes and bruises!" Lovetta can't believe what she is hearing and resists the urge to stand up and scream at him. She couldn't afford to do that and get herself and Fenrir in trouble.

"I'm sorry Councilman but is there a question to be asked here? And I am not the one currently on trial, if memory serves me correctly." Councilman Henry smirks at Lovetta's words but she doesn't back down, refusing to look away from him.

"You are correct. You are not. My question to you is this. Do you want to be changed?"

"And what relevance is there to this case?" Lovetta snaps back, her ears turning red.

"I am wondering that as well." A Councilwoman speaks up from across the semi circle, "I am sure I am not the only one who wonders this."

"Why, call it a simple curiosity. But it will also reassure those of us who doubt your story that you are not lying." Councilman Henry answers back, smirking still as he stares down at the now very nervous Lovetta. Lovetta glances around at the Council who was now focused exactly on Lovetta, waiting for an answer. "We are waiting, Lovetta."

Lovetta looks down at her hands, fiddling with a bracelet that one of the children had given her when she was working in one of the nurseries earlier in the week. Staring down at the three pieces of string, so carefully braided together by the clumsy fingers of one of the pups, Lovetta makes her choice. With determined eyes, she lifts her head and stares right back into the cold eyes of Henry and stands up. "It is true what you've said, Councilman. When I first came, I fought and I thought that this was the worst thing to happen to me. I was, as most young people are, taught that werewolves were something to be feared." Lovetta begins to walk around the empty space, allowing herself that freedom and demanding the attention of the room. "I was scared that by coming here, I was going to become someone that I wasn't. But, I look around at your faces and I don't feel afraid anymore. I feel loved and welcomed and accepted. I know now what I wish I'd known then. It certainly would have said our Alphas and Fenrir a lot of time if I had." Lovetta looks at Fenrir and they share a small smile. "I know that this pack is my family, it is where I belong. So, to answer your question in short Councilman, yes. Someday I will be changed by my mate and will run together under the full moon. I can't say when that will happen or when I'll fully be ready for that but I know that someday I will be and I will be changed. Who knows, you may even be there to witness it. Does that answer your question to your satisfaction?" Lovetta comes to a halt in front of Henry and looks up at him, giving him a sickenly sweet smile. Henry stares down at the much younger girl, sneering and showing his canines.

"That will do for now." Henry sits back down in his seat, looking thoroughly upset. Lovetta nods and walks back to where Fenrir was waiting, taking her place by his side.

"Any more questions for me from the Council?" The Council members look around and shake their heads so Amigo dismisses her to switch places with Fenrir.

Fenrir's turn is much shorter than Lovetta's as he could really only talk about the fight and the aftermath the following day. Lovetta stays by his side the entire time, hiding her shaking hands by placing one gently on Fenrir's shoulder. The Council doesn't bother questioning him and dismisses them to their original seats. Fenrir takes Lovetta's hand after he stands and kisses it, walking back to their seats and sitting with her, grinning from ear to ear.

"Why are you so happy?" Lovetta asks quietly into his ear.

"I'll tell you later." Fenrir whispers back as Jacob walks to the questioning chair, Carly following dutifully behind him, taking his place. Jacob had clearly been given clean clothes by Carly that morning as he was wearing slacks and a white dress shirt with a small emblem on them, more than likely his family's crest. Scanning the crowd of pack members, Lovetta could spot Jacob's dads staring at him, watching his every move. They were holding hands and it was very obvious that they were nervous for their son but were trying to put up a brave front.

Before Jacob sits, he bows to everyone in turn and even turns to bow to Fenrir and Lovetta where they sat. Lovetta tries to give him a small smile but he turns away before she can and sits down. She holds Fenrir's hand tightly, her heart racing. Fenrir doesn't look away from Jacob, scowling at him, but does give Lovetta's hand a light squeeze to show that he was still there. Alpha Amigo's expression doesn't change at all as he invites Jacob to share his truth.

Jacob immediately launches into his story and it was obvious that he'd been spending his time in the woods rehearsing it. "Distinguished Council, my alphas, my betas, I want to thank you first for allowing me to speak before you today and to share my truth with you. These are events that shouldn't have happened but did and I feel the deepest regret for that. That night was just like any other. Being one of Fenrir's betas, I already knew what the precautions that were being taken for Lovetta were. I thought, just like everyone else, that she would obey the rules and be safe but that didn't happen."

Fenrir let out a growl so quiet even Lovetta, who was sitting very close to him, could barely hear it. "Those sons of bitches." He murmurs to himself before leaning over to Lovetta and whispering, "he's been coached."

Lovetta's eyes widen in shock and she looks closer at Jacob, noticing for the first time a piece of paper barely sticking out of his pant pocket. "By who?"

"Who do you think?" Fenrir asks, pointedly looking at Councilman Henry who was sitting back in his chair, his devious smirk on his face.

"-shifted and began to run and play with my mate under the moon's great light. Her and I have this tradition that we spend every other moon's night with each other and no one else so we wandered off from the pack a bit. Everything was fine, the moon was bright overhead and Carly and I were enjoying each other, as much as is appropriate of course. There was a rabbit and I began to chase it and play with it, I wandered off a bit from Carly and another smell caught my nose. It was like this strong scent, calling me to it. Different than a mate's scent call but still highly appealing. My wolf instantly went to it and it was Lovetta's smell. I didn't even think for a second and ran to where she was. My wolf told me that this was a pack member but that she didn't smell right. I broke through the glass of the window and tried to find her. When I found her, Fenrir found me. He tackled me away and began to fight me. He tore a chunk out of my shoulder and I ran off to Carly, ashamed of my actions." He hangs his head and continues, "I can not express how deeply ashamed I am of my actions. It was a grave mistake by myself and my wolf. Thank you for allowing me to share my truth."

"Thank you for sharing your truth with us Jacob." The pack members copy her in a murmur, all thanking him for sharing. "Now, may the Council ask you questions?"

"I will answer any questions to the best of my ability, my alpha." Jacob bows his head in respect and looks around, "please ask any question you may have. I have nothing to hide."

"You said that Lovetta's scent called to you, what do you mean by this?" The same Councilwoman who had spoken on Lovetta's behalf early asks, staring down at him with squinted eyes. Lovetta could tell that it was obvious to her that Jacob had been coached as well. Jacob gulps and glances at Councilman Henry who gives him a very quick pointed glance.

"That is an excellent question and I will see if-if I can articulate what I meant for you. Um," Jacob fumbles for words and he begins to fidget slightly, "when I smelled Lovetta, it was like I needed to go to her. It was similar to if an alpha calls upon you. I had to go to her, there was no room not to."

"But Lovetta is not a full alpha yet. She has never attempted to give an alpha order nor is she a wolf so it would not work. So, much like Councilman Henry found room for doubt in Lovetta's story, I find doubt in yours." the Councilwoman turns to look at Henry, "no snarky comments, Councilman Henry?"

"Oh no madam, I would simply like to point out a story in our history. The one of alpha female Alexandra Rainbird and one of her potential betas, Terrence Popula. For those that do not remember this story, Terrence had been called to Alexandra during a full moon before Alexandra had had her first shift." Councilman Henry rebuttals.

"Yes, but in that particular story Councilman, Alexandra did shift that same night and Terrence went to her to be with her because he sensed that she was going to shift. Alexandra was a born wolf, that was her first shift night." Another councilman speaks up from his chair, looking very nervous to get in the middle of the other two council members. The rest of the Council nods their heads along and a few who had seemed to be leaning towards Henry's side have a look of conflict on their faces.

Councilman Henry's jaw clenches but he paints a smile on his face, "you are correct in that regard but it still illustrates my point that it is possible for alpha females to call to their betas without being changed yet."

"But if you remember, Alexandra and Terrence were also mates. This is not the case with Jacob and Lovetta, unless you are insinuating that Fenrir and Jacob are both mistaken and they are mates." The Councilwoman shoots back, a small smile playing on her face. Her eyes were sharp, even in her old age and Lovetta could see that she was not going to back down any time soon.

"Excuse me Council members, are there any more questions for Jacob?" Amigo interrupts, stopping the staring match between the Councilwoman and the Councilman. The Council says there is not and Amigo turns back to Jacob, "there are no more questions for you." Jacob stands, bows, and returns to his original place. "The Council will now go into the side chamber and speak. When we return, a decision will be made." Amigo turns to Accalia and offers his hand, helping her out of her chair gracefully and the two of them lead the betas and the Council out into a side room. Miaya and Ryal follow the alphas immediately after and the Council falls in step behind them. Fenrir rises and repeats his father's actions, offering his hand to her. Lovetta takes it and stands but is confused.

"You and I have the privilege of being present while they talk. Jacob goes into his side room again and can be called in but doesn't get to listen to everything. Ready to go into the belly of the beast?" Fenrir gives her a smile, showing off his canines. A few months ago that smile scared her, but now she found it comforting and attractive.

"Promise you're going to be there with me?"

"Always, Parvulus." Fenrir bends down and gently kisses her knuckles, holding her hand and leading the way to the Council's back room.


	20. Chapter 20

The Council's back room is almost a mini version of the main room but it was more comfortable looking. Rather than a large circular table, there was one large square table in the middle with enough chairs for the Council members. There were leather couches and a few tables with food and drink against the walls. There were also book shelves of old cases and pack incidences that had required the Council's attention in the past. These were there so the Council could make the most informed decisions possible. A large hearth warms the room as a fire within it glows. Lovetta had noticed the smoke billowing from the chimney but hadn't thought anything of it as they had approached.

"They use the fire to signal the pack when the decision has been reached. Sometimes large decisions will go on for hours or even days so it's the best way of reaching the pack without having to leave the room. Think of it sort of like when the muggles choose a new pope for the Catholic Church." Fenrir explains, guiding her around the room and away from the door. The few Council members they pass bow their heads in respect to them and they do the same in return, Lovetta shooting them a small smile as she does so.

"Well are you going to introduce me Fenrir, or do I have to do it myself?" The Councilwoman who had gone toe to toe with Henry asks as she approaches the two of them. Fenrir and Lovetta stop and Fenrir breaks from Lovetta to hug the woman, lifting her slightly. "Oh don't squish me!"

"Oh you're stronger than that. Lovetta, this is my aunt. Council woman Ava Greyback, my father's little sister." Ava steps forward and pulls Lovetta into a tight hug, squeezing the air out of her. "Don't break my mate!"

Lovetta and Ava both laugh but Lovetta is grateful when Ava let's her go and she's able to breathe again. "It's good to meet you Councilwoman Ava."

"It's good to meet you too. You're prettier than Accalia described in her patronus to me but she often leaves out details." Ava laughs a little bit and shakes her head, "but we love her anyway. After all she gave us Fenrir." Getting a closer look at her, it was easy for Ava to see the resemblance to Amigo. They had the same dark brown eyes and the same hairline (even though Amigo's had been pushed back quite a bit)

"Well thank you Councilwoman" Lovetta bows her head slightly, a gesture which Ava returns with a smile.

"You'll make a fine Alpha one day, that is clear. You stood up to Henry just fine." Ava shoots a look over to Henry who was busy whispering to a few Councilmen, obviously plotting something.

"I didn't really stand up to him… Simply pointed out something and sharing my truth." Lovetta flushes, suddenly ashamed and self conscious of her decision to interrupt him during the trial.

Ava shakes her head, "no need to justify yourself to me. I've wanted him put in his place for a while now. He holds too much power." Before Lovetta can respond, three sharp notes ring out through the room. "That means it is almost time to start the deliberations. If you'll excuse me," Ava excuses herself and walks away. Fenrir and Lovetta walk around again, avoiding Henry.

"I want to say hello to Councilman Henry." Lovetta says after they say hello to another Councilman. Fenrir looks down at her, confusion written all over his face. "It's clever he doesn't like me at all but there's that old saying, keep your enemies closer right? Unless you don't want to come with me."

"No. I'm not letting you face him alone" Fenrir gently leads Lovetta over to Henry whose group was slowly dispersing and finding their own seats. "Councilman Henry." Henry turns to them and bows his head, smirking like he always does. Up close, his grey hair appears almost see through and his eyes are even darker than they had been when they'd stared Lovetta down in the courtroom.

"Fenrir, Lovetta. What a pleasant surprise. I hope you know I meant no offense in my questions during your truth sharing, Lovetta." Lovetta bristles at his tone, there was something about it that irritated her. It was like he was toying with them and thought himself above her.

"Oh I'm sure you didn't at all." Lovetta gives him a sickly sweet smile, "but I will admit I did not appreciate you insinuating that Fenrir and I are not mates. While I know our mating has been unorthodox, it is just as valid as any other." Fenrir holds back a giant grin at this, keeping his face as even as possible but Lovetta can tell that he was happy at her declaring this. Henry's body language and facial expressions don't change at all and he remains stoic as ever.

"Well, some may see that as true. But there are others, not me of course, who don't due to your lack of involvement in the pack during your childhood. Some believe that another would be much more suited to being alpha female but that is a discussion for another day. If you'll excuse me, I must sit now." Henry turns on his heels and walks to one of the chairs at the center table. Lovetta releases a large breath in frustration, huffing slightly.

"He's insufferable, isn't he?"

"You could say that again. It isn't my fault that I didn't spend my childhood here!" Lovetta says quietly to Fenrir as they walk to a side chair and settle into it. They chose one of the couches and settle down to watch. While they were invited to watch, they couldn't comment unless asked a question by one of the Council members, the alphas, or the betas. A bell rings out almost as soon as they are settled and everyone in the room quiets down.

Amigo stands at the head of the center table and looks around the room before speaking. "We have heard three truths today. It is now our job to find the truth in the middle of all of them and make a decision from that. Accalia will be keeping the notes for this discussion." One job of the alpha female during Council proceedings was to act as a sort of secretary, keeping all of the official notes. Any notes taken by the Council members would be added to the case file to be referenced while she made the official report of the trial. The individual Council member notes would then be destroyed and only the official notes would be kept. "Does anyone wish to make a recommendation of punishment for Jacob?"

"Well it's obvious he can not be trusted to be a beta any longer" Ava speaks up, looking around at her fellow Council members. "He broke an alpha order." The Council members all nod and murmur their agreement.

"I agree with this statement. He will immediately be dropped from the running for the next beta of the pack. Any other punishment recommendations?" Amigo asks, looking around.

Henry stands up from his chair, clearing his throat. "Excuse me, my alpha, but perhaps we should not be looking at him breaking an alpha order as something that needs to be addressed with him but rather than with you." The air is practically sucked out of the room at this declaration. Henry stares down Amigo and the tension grows as silent is held for twenty seconds before anyone dares make a sound.

"Regardless of his ability to break my alpha order, he must still be punished. If you wish to call for my removal again, please do and we'll see how far that gets you." Amigo's voice is cold but calculated. It was obvious that he expected something like this from Henry. "Jacob will be removed from the running for breaking an alpha order. What other punishments?"

"Well if we are going to treat this as some large issue rather than something wrong with our leaders, why not just banish him from the pack completely? I mean, your son already did it for the two weeks! Why not just follow through and do it completely? Or perhaps, we should let Fenrir make all of our decisions for us! He already feels entitled to it." Henry says passionately, looking around the Council room at all of the members in turn. Lovetta's mouth falls open in shock. Since she'd been here, she'd never heard such disrespect. Glancing over at Fenrir, she can tell he was having a hard time not speaking. It was understandable.

"My nephew dealt with an issue that pertained to his mate and his betas, as is his right to as the future alpha. The future alpha has a say in disciplinary actions of his or her potential betas." Ava speaks up, also standing up and leaning across the table to stare at Henry. Her eyes were sharp and fierce. Insulting her family was obviously a line for Ava that you do not want to cross.

"Yes but he is to consult the alphas and betas before making such a call. He has been warned before." Henry shoots back, leaning back from the table and folding his hands in front of him. "Are we really going to just punish one person who offended rather than all parties who offended? The facts are that Jacob broke a weak alpha order, Lovetta broke the rule to stay in her room and not open any doors or windows, and Fenrir punished someone without following the proper chain of command. Are we to let two of these offenders go unpunished?"

"With all due respect, Henry, I believe Lovetta has already been punished enough. She will carry the scars from Jacob's attack for the rest of her life" a Councilman speaks up from the opposite end of the table. Henry shoots them a look of wrath but then continues with his rant.

"I agree that Jacob must be punished but we can not ignore Fenrir's transgression or Amigo's lack of control of the pack. Perhaps we do not punish Lovetta but we can not ignore the others. Is this Council simply going to let things slide or are we going to take control of this pack and do what is best for it?" Henry looks around and stares down a few of the members that he'd been speaking to earlier who nod and quietly murmur agreement. Lovetta clenches her jaw to keep from speaking out, fury running through her entire being.

"Do not punish my son. He protected his mate and did nothing wrong. It is true, my grip on the pack is slipping but this is a normal sign when it is almost time for the alpha to step down and give power to their offspring. It was my decision to do the alpha order alone. An error of pride. My son will remain unpunished as he has been punished by having to see his mate in pain. We can discuss action to take when it concerns me later. For now, we will return to the original point." Lovetta notices the subtle shift in Amigo's voice from his regular voice to his alpha voice. He was giving Henry an ultimatum, if Henry ignores it, it is a challenge to Amigo's place as alpha and they would have to fight. Thankfully, Henry bows his head and sits down, looking thoroughly upset. "Thank you. Now, recommendations for further punishments of Jacob?"

The Council goes on to discuss Jacob's punishment. It takes about twenty minutes for them to come to a decision but finally they do. They release the proper color smoke from the fire place and wait a few minutes later to funnel back into the trial room. Once the Council is settled into their places again, Jacob is brought in from the side room and brought to stand in the middle of the semi-circle where the chair had been before. Amigo and the Council stand up to deliver the verdict.

"Based upon the truths heard today and the recommendations of the Council, I, Amigo Greyback, Alpha of the Northern Pack, do now deliver your sentence, Jacob Whiller. From this day onward, you will no longer be in consideration to be the next beta of our pack. You will be demoted to the status of omega until such a time as you prove your loyalty to the pack. You will also leave the pack for a total of three months to work away from the pack in a position which will be assigned to you by Miaya Yellot, the beta of the Northern Pack. You will be allowed to return to run with our pack under the moon every month. Upon your return to the pack, your status will be reconsidered. Do you understand these punishments and accept them as they have been presented before you?" The attention instantly shifts from Amigo to Jacob who was practically shaking. It is several seconds before he answers but in those few seconds, the entire pack holds their breath. To say no or to refuse to answer would mean challenging the alpha's power.

Finally Jacob answers, "I accept and understand these punishments as they have been presented to me." Jacob bows from his waist to Amigo, cementing his submission to Amigo.

"You are dismissed to begin your preparation for your punishment. You will leave the pack in two days and not return for the three months." Jacob bows once again and leaves through the side door. "This concludes the trial of Jacob Whiller. Thank you for bearing witness to this. Council, I thank you for your council." With that, everyone stands and the Council once again exits through the side door. As soon as they are gone, the pack begins to talk and walk out the back doors. Lovetta let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and looks up at Fenrir, a small smile on her face. She wasn't happy that Jacob had to be punished but three months banishment was a lot better than some of the other things that had been suggested.

As they leave, Fenrir and Lovetta make sure to stop by to give their encouragement to Carly who hadn't stopped crying since the trial started. She thanks them for telling the truth. Carly wouldn't be able to go with him due to the fact that they were not officially mated just yet. They'd been planning to be mated soon but, with Jacob's banishment, it would have to be postponed until his official return to the pack. Fenrir and Lovetta then step into the cool air of the afternoon and walk hand in hand back to the main square.


End file.
